On June 17, 2015, Jessie Poole, 92, passed away peacefully at her home in the Charlestown Retirement Community in Catonsville, MD, surrounded by her children. She is the beloved wife of the late James M. Poole, the loving mother of Michael F. Poole and his wife Lorie, Stephen J. Poole and his partner Vikki Taylor, Matthew J. Poole, Andrew J. Poole and his wife Mary Ellen, and Jennifer M. Poole. She is the admired sister of the late Jean Isherwood, and cherished grandmother of Kelly and Elaina Poole. Born in Liverpool, England on November 24, 1922 to Francis H. Conroy and Sarah Jane Crebbin, she came of age during World War II and experienced the Battle of Britain and the repeated bombings of Liverpool, driving an ambulance and later chauffeuring on the docks. She met her first husband, George Plank, in an air raid shelter in 1940. They married in 1943 but she was soon widowed when George�s RAF bomber was downed over Burma in early 1944.Jessie had always dreamed of working aboard one of the Liverpool-based Cunard Line�s ocean liners. In 1948 she decided to �test the waters�, sailing to Aruba to visit friends for the winter. There, on a blind date, she met James Poole, a young American engineer who worked at the island�s oil refinery. They fell in love and were married in Jim�s hometown of Hamden, Connecticut in 1949. They returned to Aruba for several years before Jim accepted a position with the DuPont Company and they moved to the United States. Jim�s job in marketing and sales required them to move frequently during the first 10 years of his career. They lived in Baton Rouge, Louisiana (where son Mike was born), New Orleans (where sons Steve and Matt were born), and Chicago (where son Andy was born), before settling long-term in Wilmington, Delaware (where daughter Jennifer was born).In Wilmington, Jessie primarily focused on raising her family. She was a wonderful cook, hosting extravagant dinner parties and introducing her family to a variety of international cuisines not experienced by most suburban East Coast children. As claimed by anyone who has ever tasted it, Jessie made the world�s most delicious apple pie. Jessie and the family started camping when Jennifer was still in diapers, and, with tent trailer in tow, they travelled all over the country for many years. Her children cannot fathom how she managed to continue to produce memorable meals on a Coleman camp stove.In their retirement years, Jim and Jess continued to travel widely, and were very active in Wilmington as lay ministers at Immaculate Heart of Mary church and as volunteers at the Grand Opera House. They were both also very active in the Academy for Lifelong Learning.In 2003, Jim and Jessie moved to the Charlestown Retirement Community in Catonsville, MD to be closer to their children. They thrived at Charlestown, becoming involved in many activities. Jessie was a two-time Silver Medalist in the 1-mile walk at the Maryland Senior Olympics. She was a courageous cancer survivor. Following Jim�s death in 2010, Jessie remained active and enjoyed �party nights� with her gang of friends. Memorial Services will be held on Saturday, July 11, 2015, at 11:00 a.m. with a gathering at 10:30 a.m., in Our Lady of the Angels Chapel at the Charlestown Retirement Center, 711 Maiden Choice Lane, Catonsville, MD. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Jessie�s memory to the Charlestown Benevolent Care Fund.