Poole Funeral Home: "Thanks for stopping by"

The future: What's next? (Poole Funeral Home Series: 3/3)

After 110 years of service, the Poole Funeral Home & Crematory officially shut its doors on December 1st, 2023. Patrick Poole is excitedly moving onto retired life-- but what does that mean for the home?

When I asked if he was looking for another funeral business to take over the space, Pat said no. "I just want it to be used" he said. As of now, there isn't a plan for the building, aside from Pat managing facilities-related care through the winter and spring months.

So, what's next?

What happens to a space which has served the dead and the mourning since its inception? In a lot of modern ghost stories, you hear of the hauntings of old hospitals, battlefields, and other places which dealt closely with death when they were in use. Is the same caution or fear of ghosts present in a space which laid the dead to rest?

By asking these questions, I am not making an argument for or against the reality of ghosts and hauntings-- or whether they may be present in a funeral home. Rather, I am wondering how our culture may re-interpret a space like this when it invests so greatly in the treatment of the dead and, at the very least, entertains the macabre and comforting (depending on your perspective) possibilities that the dead remain near us.

Still, I asked Patrick what he thought of ghosts. His response was immediate. "I believe in whatever anyone else wants to".

He said that he didn't have any personal experience with ghosts or anything like it, "but there's enough out there that can't be explained," so he doesn't rule it out.

Preservation, Remembrance & Celebration

Above the funeral home are two apartments. Pat lived in these for most of his life. Sophia, my friend, also spent the beginning of her childhood above the home. These apartments have been leased outside of the family as well, though infrequently. So, beyond its use as a funeral home, the building may continue to offer living spaces to people.

I mentioned my interest as an anthropologist in what would happen to the funeral home to Sophia and she seemed surprised by my consideration that it there may be a taboo around it for future businesses. She noted that the last funeral home has been used for other things. "I think there's a tattoo shop there now," she said. That building also had a few apartments on top of it.

The building is of course also a valuable part of Port Washington history and its location is central to the downtown area. The rich history of the space itself is somewhat of a haunting on the town. Haunting, though often associated with ghosts and the sensationalized paranormal in movies and media, perhaps more generally may refer to memory. Or the ability of the past (and the future, though that's another debate) to be interwoven into the present.

So, whatever happens to the Poole Funeral Home will be stamped with the haunting of a family which proudly served their community for 110 years.

"Thanks for stopping by."

At the end of my visit with Patrick, I asked him if his time organizing funerals has made him particular about how he wants his own funeral to go. He said no, but everyone in his family knows what he wants his headstone to say.

"Thanks for stopping by."

I've spent the past semster studying anthropologies of death. I've learned that humans are captivated by death and what it means for personhood. There are countless death practices, rituals and beliefs about the dead that have characterized human cultures throughout time, but perhaps this summarizes our fascination the best.

Whether it's the body, spirit, memory, or dirt that's thankful, there will be an importance in that space because of its connection to Pat Poole.

Patrick Poole and two of his daughters outside of the funeral home, Johanna (left) and Sophia (right).

I'm extremely thankful to Patrick, Sophia and their family for inviting me into the Poole Funeral Home and for giving me a glimpse into their family business and history. I hope this blog post series has been an honorable ode to them and the Pooles of the past and has been educational to anyone who was looking to learn.

December 19, 2023

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