John ("Jack") Paul Gallant Poisson

A Memorial Service for Jack Poisson, age 76, will begin with internment at 1:00 pm, Friday, January 17, 2020 at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit – Memorial Garden (433 Bone Camp Rd, Marshall, NC 28753 - near Mars Hill). The Celebration Service will continue in the Sanctuary.

Jack went home to the God of Love on December 9, 2019.  Born in White Plains, NY on February 21, 1943, Jack was the son of the late George Louis Gallant and Paula Doyle, who later married Louis Julien Poisson, Jr of Wilmington, NC.

Jack was a 1961 graduate of New Hanover High School (Wilmington), and received his Bachelor’s Degree in 1965 from NC State University, being a member of the SAE Fraternity.  Jack earned his Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 1970.  He practiced law just shy of 50 years in NC… beginning in Wilmington and Greensboro… retiring from Buncombe and Madison County Courts in October.

Being a fourth-generation Poisson attorney, Jack had a familial heritage of advocacy, service and professionalism.  His career in Criminal, Civil and Family Law was guided by “Higher Law” (https://poissonlawfirm.com) preferring collaborative law to help families find peaceful resolution. Jack knew his calling to be a “peace-maker” and gave decades of volunteer work for needy clients, such as Pisgah Legal Services https://pisgahlegal.org/give. He was inducted in the NC Pro Bono Honor Society by the Supreme Court of NC in 2017.

Jack enjoyed serving his community in many ways; most recently as a Board Member of MountainTrue “Protecting the Places We Share.” https://mountaintrue.org/give/. Active in the Episcopal Church, Jack served in many ways and on the Vestry and as Senior Warden in the past.  His loyalty to the Democratic Party reflected his dedication to “Liberty and Justice for All.”

Jack is survived by his sister, Tina Poisson Nichols and her daughters: Paula Moore (Bert) and Kyle, Hunter and Zachary; and Christy Beck (Greg) and son Dylan; and also, his late brother George Henry “Hank” Poisson’s daughters: Nelle P. Horn and Doyle P. Woodall (Woody) and sons Tommy and Ben and numerous other special Poisson relatives in eastern North Carolina.

He is also survived by his beloved, Ginny Lentz, her son Bert Hucks, wife Vicky, grandchildren: Gracie and Coley, from Coral Gables, FL… countless loving relatives, close friends, and caring doctors and nurses.

Jack will be missed for his kindness, laughter, integrity, humility and compassion. He was a grateful, elegant, genteel man… positive, confident, unflappable and full of JOY!  “Our planet was blessed by Jack’s life with us.”   Let’s remember Jack’s final words before he passed: “LOVE is ALL that is!”

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