James E. "Jim" Poehlman
After 47 short years of marriage, and 72 brief years of life, Jim was taken from us too soon on October 13, 2022. Beloved husband of Mary (nee Szukalski) Poehlman. Dear father of Melissa (Brian) Hunzelman, Nick (Cheri) Poehlman, and Samantha (Thomas) Poehlvesant. Most favorite Papa of Madison, Sydney, and Hadley.
Jim was born to Wallace and Elaine Poehlman on June 8, 1950. He was a loving, funny, goofy boy who "grew up" to be a loving, funny, goofy husband. He always had a fix for whatever was broken or damaged and was determined to fix it his way. He was an involved, supportive dad, especially when it came to softball. He coached all of his kids until they got to high school and would have coached then if they would have let him. His biggest critic was his wife - he was always too tough on her kids! He even coached some of the younger siblings of his former players until he didn't know the kids anymore - then he switched to umpiring.
He took every job, paid or unpaid, very seriously. As a letter carrier, he prided himself on his efficiency and care for his patrons (and their dogs).
When he retired, after a brief summer hiatus to play with his trains, he joined the crew at Ace Hardware/Village Outdoor as a part-time driver. What better person to make deliveries than a former letter carrier who knew the city like the back of his hand?
In his spare time in retirement (and before retirement after his kids were out of school), he enjoyed his passion for trains with his back yard garden railroad which had a habit of growing year by year. He had the great good fortune to be at the Milwaukee County Domes during an annual train show when one of the G-scale trains derailed and they didn't know how to fix it. Of course, he volunteered, and so began a long term association with The Domes and the Wisconsin Garden Railroad Society who helped run the trains there. It was a "match made in heaven" where he found others who shared his passion and took as much joy from the tinkering, playing, fixing and sharing (especially with kids) his love of trains.
But most of all, he loved his family and his extended family. His kids were his treasures and his grandchildren were his guilty pleasure. He was so very proud of his children, their accomplishments, their determination and dedication to everything they did, their devotion to their families and everthing they made of themselves. His grandchildren brought him more joy than words can convey and he would do anything for them.
He will be so very missed by us all. He was the love of my life.
Rememberances of our Dad:
Samantha
He knew what he liked and had no interest in trying new things. Happy to share his loves for peanut butter and banana toast, jeopardy (either with eyes open or closed), trains, and Disney with anyone he met. He taught me that the theme song to Law & Order is meant to be danced to, to sing loudly regardless of if you know the lyrics, and was a true trendsetter he was "working from home" before it was a thing and often times with his work truck parked in plain sight. The perennial coach - he never missed a game, meet, or opportunity to tell anyone how to do a house project. To say I will miss him is an understatement. You stuck the landing - love, jo
Nick
To my hero & best friend:
I'm having trouble imagining a world without you. We would see each other & speak so frequently, it just doesn't seem like you're gone, which makes this all the more difficult. I'll miss our weekly fish fries (that we converted to baked fish dinners for the last 4+ years) the most. Having gone nearly every Friday for the last 20 years or so, it will be the most noticeable of absences for me. For a long while, it was just me & you (I think Mom enjoyed the occasional respite from us), but after I moved out, she began tagging along to bring us all together on a weekly basis. As we went through the years, moving from one 'favorite' fish fry to the next, knowing full well when the label was bestowed we were essentially dooming the establishment to close, we were undeterred when one dive after the next went out of business. We continued to nomadically press forward from Glendale Lanes, to Old Country Buffet, to Rice Inn (a Chinese food fish fry??), and finally to Alioto's, our current 'favorite'. I know Mom & I will both have a hard time going without you physically there, but we'll continue the tradition & you'll still be there with us – you just won't be carrying the conversation for us anymore. And we'll both miss that terribly.
Melissa
My Dad taught me so many things. One of the best things he taught me was that growing up is over-rated. He delighted in playing, particularly with his trains or with his granddaughters, but really in any way that brought him joy. I think the world would be a better place if we all played a little more and remembered to take ourselves a little less seriously, like my Dad. He also taught me things that will help me now, in this time of incredible loss. He taught me that I am strong and can do hard things, and that what feels like the end of the world right now, is not. He taught me this over many years, but one time stands out. I called him from college in tears - I had taken on too much and was convinced that I was going to fail a class, and disappoint him and my Mom. He listened and then said, "Mel, how do you eat an elephant?" I predictably said that I didn't know. "One bite at a time. You will eat this elephant one bite at a time." I knew he was right then, and I know he is still right now. Before we hung up, he left me with one more gem. "Mel, you know you can't spell "diploma" without a D!" Indeed, Dad. A "D" wouldn't have been the end of the world then, and even though it feels like it is, it's not the end of the world now. I will get through this, because my dad taught me how. But I'm sure going to miss him.
Visitation will be held for Jim on Friday, October 21, 2022, from 11:00am until the time of Mass of Christian Burial at 1:00pm, all at Our Lady of Good Hope Catholic Church, 7152 North 41st Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Private interment.
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