One of my customers passed away...

I just got a call today that one of my favorite customers passed away on Tuesday, Feb 9th. James Poarch, of Alexandria, VA. Jim was 71.

Jim has been coming to the store for many years, and he always had this great, wry wit and his job took him around the world. He and I would sit in a couple of chairs for an hour or so and he would tell me of his adventures (with me encouraging him greatly!). He was a chemical engineer and one of the UN Inspectors in Iraq before the onset of the Iraq War. I was keenly interested in his experiences over there during his hunt for Weapons of Mass Destruction as I felt he really was a part of the history that affected us so much in the past decade. He in turn was curious about woodworking and the furniture business, so I would tell him those tall stories I had as well.

Jim was a big Tiger Maple furniture enthusiast, and a pleasant man. He never beat me up on prices - just happy to get a piece once in awhile. He loved his dog "Doogie" and he'd always show up in his Mazda Miata with the top down on sunny days. Sometimes he would just stop by to visit, which was always fine by me, I enjoyed our conversations greatly.

He and his future wife Suzanne were making big plans to move and get a retirement home later this year, and he was looking forward to that. Suzanne is devastated by his sudden death and couldn't stay on the phone long with me....she just wanted me to know. Feels like I just lost part of my Keeping Room "Store Family". I'm really going to miss Jim stopping by.

R.I.P. Jim.

Bio:

Jim began his career in the PVC industry at BFGoodrich Chemical in Avon Lake, Ohio in 1960. He broadened his experience by moving to the pharmaceutical industry at Hoffman-Taff in 1963, where he worked on projects to produce specialty fine chemicals. During this period, Jim earned an MBA at Drury College in Springfield, Missouri. Between 1970 and 1984, he held positions as Technical Manager and Process Engineering Manager working in PVC production technology at Borden Chemicals and Tenneco Chemicals. Jim then returned to school at the University of Virginia, where he completed his PhD in Organic Chemistry in 1990. In 1993, Dr. Poarch served as the U.S. Technical Representative on the Chemical Weapons Production Facility's Working Group at the organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague. He was nominated in 1994 to be Chemical Operations Officer for the United Nations Special Commission on Iraq at the U.N. Headquarters in New York, and he served on five CW inspections in Iraq, one of which he was Chief Inspector. He also served as Chemical Process Specialist inspecting the Russian V-Agent production facility in Novocheboksarsk. In 1995, Jim was sent to Tokyo to aid in the investigation of the sarin nerve agent release in the subway system, where he identified a key chemical signature that tied the release to the Aum Shinrikyo religious cult. Jim joined ITT Systems and Sciences Corporation in April of 1998, where he oversees various projects that deal with CW programs for weapons and arms control. He has assisted the Department of State in evaluating on-site Russian collaborative chemical research under the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program.

I'm so sorry for the loss of your friend, Duane. And I can only imagine what his fiancee must be feeling. Such a story reminds us all, I'm sure, to value every day.

Dear Duane,
Please accept my condolences on the loss of your dear friend. We miss the most the ones who have had an impact on our lives. From your personal description, it is clear that Jim and Suzanne are very dear and special to you.
In sympathy,
Juliepooch

I'm sort of an "old school" kind of merchant, where I get to know my regular customers and they like to come in and just visit from time-to-time, and if I'm not too busy grabbing phones and unloading trucks. I really enjoy taking time to learn about them and their family and jobs, etc., so its a bit melancholy when you hear that someone that has been coming to your store for over a decade is gone. I've been here about 25 years now, and at least that many customers have passed away that I know about.

Then there is new life. Another good customer and friend just sent me this photo of his first grandchild who was born yesterday! I was at his daughter's wedding a year and a half ago (she's the new Mom in the photo) and this is a happy event.

And so it goes - truly The Circle of Life......

Sorry for your loss Duane...I can see you truly take an interest in your customers...but you are right, life goes on and new memories will be made...wish I could "stop in" from time to time but we are in NJ...maybe when we look at schools in Maryland and DC for my high school junior. Would love to actually be in the Keeping room instead of viewing from afar...
Carmela

The door is always open, Carmela! Would be great for you to stop in - anytime!