Roll Call Tribute

Fletcher Meredith Pool
April 10, 1929 - November 13th, 2021

Fletcher Meredith Pool, Class of ’57, BS in Industrial Engineering, passed away at age 92, on November 13th, 2021 in Ordway, Colorado.

Fletcher was born in Troy, Texas on April 10, 1929 to the late Mildred Caroline (Meredith) Pool and Fletcher Lafayette Pool. He met the love of his life, Joyce Earlene Winters, in 1950, but their courtship was interrupted when he was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Korean War, serving from 1951-1953.

Fletcher and Joyce married April 11,1953 in Bryan, Texas, after which he attended Texas A&M University while Joyce worked as a secretary for the university's Business department. Upon graduating in 1957 with a BS degree in Industrial Engineering, Fletcher began a career working at aerospace and energy companies Chance Vought, Martin Company, and Dow Chemical in Texas and Colorado. In 1980, Fletcher and his family moved to Ordway, Colorado to establish the JP Ranch and enjoy a quieter life, which he did until his death. He loved living and ranching in Crowley County, Colorado.

Fletcher's Christian faith was a big part of his life. He was a preacher in the Little Zion Primitive Baptist Church in Ordway for many years, and remained a member there after retiring from his preaching role. When he could, Fletcher enjoyed attending other churches as well, and loved sharing his beliefs and spending time with the kind friends he met along the way.

As a young man, Fletcher had a love of flying, but circumstances forced him to stop that pursuit. He took it up again many decades later, and was a proud member of the United Flying Octogenarians. He also enjoyed spending many months rebuilding an airplane from scratch, combining his interests of flying and mechanics.

Fletcher also had an interest in guns and how they function. He gained a vast knowledge about a wide variety of old and new firearms, and was very skilled in both their repair and reconstruction. He was an excellent shot, and earned recognition for that ability in the military. As a boy, Fletcher's hunting and shooting skills helped feed his family during the Great Depression.

Fletcher was active and interested in many things as evidenced by his membership in the American Gunsmithing Association, the NRA, the Association of Industrial Engineers, the United Flying Octogenarians, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, the American Legion, the Farm Bureau, and the Experimental Aircraft Association, among others.

Fletcher was the widower of Joyce Earlene (Winters) Pool. He is survived by his sister Mildred Dunn of Galveston, Texas; son Samuel Pool and wife Dorothy of Garland, Texas; daughter Dorene Pool of Chandler, Arizona; son James Pool of Lakewood, Colorado; daughter Sylvia Norton and husband Edward L. Norton IV of Bothell, Washington, and grandchildren Edward L. Norton V and Meredith Norton of Bothell, Washington.

Fletcher's life reflected his love of God, his family, his friends, and his country. He was a friend to many and a treasured husband and father. He is missed.