Kathleen Pooler

Kathleen Pooler, 92, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family Monday, September 26, 2022.

A Mass of Christian Burial: 10:30 a.m. Friday, September 30, 2022 at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Azle.

Interment: Private family interment in Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery.

Celebration Visitation and Fellowship: 6:00 to 7:30 pm Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022 at Biggers Funeral Home with recitation of the Holy Rosary to commence at 7:30 pm.

Memorials: In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 800 High Crest Drive, Azle, TX 76020 or Tunnels To Towers (t2t.org) in support of the families of first responders killed in the line of duty.

Kathleen Donoghue entered this world on July 22, 1930 to loving parents, Joseph and Ann in Warrington, England. She was the first daughter of the Donoghue clan which would later consist of 8 children, 3 sons and 5 daughters, her beloved siblings whom she adored.

In the early 1950’s Kathleen was a telephone switchboard operator who interestingly routed many of the calls made by a young Air Force serviceman by the name of Roger Pooler who was stationed at Burtonwood, AFB close to Warrington where she lived. After several conversations over the phone Kathleen and Roger decided to meet for a date but only if he brought a fellow as a date for her friend. The girls decided to meet these Yanks on a bridge in the village and if they didn’t like the looks of them they would just keep walking. History tells us Kathleen did stop and did indeed like the looks of Roger. Their courtship continued through letter writing after Roger was sent back to the states until June 19, 1954, when they were married in England.

They were married for 9 years desperately wanting children and suffering through the loss of miscarriage. They decided to adopt but before they could complete the process Roger was reassigned to Clark AFB in the Philippines and adoption plans had to be postponed. While in the Philippines they were finally able to welcome their first child Anne Marie. Then in 1964 Roger was assigned to Carswell, AFB in Fort Worth, TX where they made their life and over the next 12 years God granted them 3 more loving children, Michael, Theresa and Christina.

Kathleen and Roger were dedicated parishioners of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church from 1964 to 1982. Kathleen was very active in her church family serving as President of the Women’s organization, as an RCIA sponsor and teaching CCD. She organized many church functions such as dances, carnivals and dinners and was always there for whatever was needed and to help in any way possible. In 1982 the newly forming Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Azle, TX became their parish. Kathleen also worked in the community at several retail shops and lastly her beloved Tarrant County Junior College where she ultimately retired.

Kathleen’s family grew through the marriages of her children and was blessed to add sons-in-law, Timothy and Jay and daughter-in-law, Polly. The miracles and blessings multiplied with the arrival of grandchildren, Lauren, Jessica, Kathryn, and Joseph. Lauren fell in love and married Brandon and together they delivered a great-grandson Thomas who adored his Nana, Kathleen.

Kathleen was brave, leaving her family and country for the man she loved to start a phase of her life with complete unknowns. Since her own family was so far away she created a family of loving people she met along the way who loved her till death. She opened her home and her heart and helped anyone she could, but her greatest gift was that she prayed for everyone, those she knew and those she didn’t, she prayed unceasingly and with a determined spirit and unwavering faith. She was devoted to faith and all her family. She always told her children ‘Family is the most important thing, and we must take care of each other.’ She knew you did not have to be related for someone to be your family, she lived it and was faithful to it every day. Her smile lit up the spirits and hearts of everyone who encountered her. It was a light to her beautiful soul.

In Kathleen’s final weeks, there were moments of great pain and suffering but there were also moments of amazing love, joy, utter silliness, and laughter. There was spiritual reflection and abundant prayer and the reminder that where one journey may end, the greatest of all journeys was just about to begin. Kathleen left us to make that journey to be with her Lord and Savior on September 26, 2022. She was truly loved and will be dearly missed by her family, friends, loved ones and her protector ‘Jenkins’, her loyal pup.

She was preceded in death by her devoted husband Roger, 3 brothers and her parents.

An Irish blessing: May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be always at your back, may the rain fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of his hand.