Charles Poor

Charles Erwin Poor, of Hingham MA and Naples FL, passed away peacefully on April 6th 2016, surrounded by family in the comfort of his Florida home following a brief illness. Charlie was born in Hiram, Maine on September 2, 1935 to Ruth and Cecil Poor. Raised in Hiram, Readfield, and Winthrop, Maine, he graduated from Winthrop High School in 1954. As a young man, Charlie, often referred to as “Curley,” worked a plethora of jobs from rolling turnips in wax at the age of 7 to driving a hot-dog truck known as “Curley’s Famous Franks.” Upon graduating from high school, he was the last man inducted into the ORT (Order of Railroad Telegraphers) and followed in his father’s footsteps working for the Maine Central Railroad. Once the telephone replaced the telegraph, Charlie became a police officer in Winthrop, then a state trooper, and proprietor of the Cobbessee Motel, also in Winthrop. Simultaneously with all these careers, he pursued his love of car racing and was a stock car race-driver on the circuit at the inception of NASCAR. This interest in speed and machines led him to a fascination with the growing snowmobile industry and a job as marketing director of Arctic Cat. He then turned to the development of the Maine Snowmobile Association and worked with the Legislature to compose much of the legal structure that governs the sport. His work in sales later led him to a job as sales manager for Channel 7 in Bangor. Then, in 1975, Charles moved from Maine to Quincy, MA and opened a car rust-proofing company, Tuff-Kote Dinol, on Southern Artery. In 1978, he moved to Whitman, MA where he continued with Tuff-Kote and later worked for Carey’s Trucks, also in Whitman. In 1992, Charlie began work in the funeral industry, and, being an entrepreneur by nature, soon found a niche making customized memorial cards, and thus was born The Boston Prayer Card Company, which he ran successfully for the remainder of his life. In his free time, Charlie enjoyed traveling, which he and his wife Cindy did whenever time allowed. Charlie was a thoroughly charming man with a tremendous zest for life, who was beloved by all. He was preceded in death by his parents Cecil and Ruth Poor of Winthrop, his sisters Marguerite Chicoine of Portland, Maine and Phyllis Lord of Belgrade, Maine, and a daughter Lori Thompson of Turner, Maine. He is survived by his devoted wife, of 25 years, Cynthia Coe, of Hingham and Naples; his beloved daughters Lou Ann Edwards and her husband Rodney of Standish, Maine, Julie Barker and her husband Gene of Winthrop, Maine, Jodi Kimball and her husband Dwight of Readfield, Maine, Lisa Lynch and her husband Sean of Weymouth, MA, Sarah Irving and her husband David of Lincoln, Maine, Heidi Poor of Rockland, MA, and Holly Levchik and her husband Mike of Colorado; his beloved son, Jeffery Freeman and his wife Donna of Readfield, Maine; fourteen grandchildren: Amanda, Nicole, Evan, Eric, Hannah, AJ, Justin, Patrick, Sam, Sean Pat, Liam, Wesley, Elliot; and six great-grandchildren: Katherine, Jaden Rose, Brook, Trinity, Sean and Malakai. A Memorial honoring Charlie’s life will take place at the Old Ship Church in Hingham, MA on May 14th at 2:00 PM followed by a reception in “Charlie’s Style” at the Parish Hall across the street. All are welcome. In lieu of flowers, donations should be made to Cops for Kids with Cancer.org, a 501C3 Charity.

Charles Poor

September 2, 1935 - April 6, 2016