Roll Call Tribute

Published in Houston Chronicle on July 29, 2015

Geoffrey S. Poll(1962 - 2015)
Geoffrey S. Poll
1962-2015
Loving father and husband Geoffrey S. Poll, age 53, passed away peacefully last Thursday, July 23, 2015 in his home in the Heights.
Geoff was born March 21, 1962 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His family moved to Houston, Texas, when he was a young boy, and he graduated from Sharpstown High School.
After graduation, he attended Texas A & M University at College Station and earned his BBA in accounting and finance in 1985. Geoff began his accounting career at Arthur Andersen & Co in 1985, first as an intern, then joining their tax group after graduation.
Geoff joined his current accounting firm as a tax accountant in 1987, later became licensed as a certified public accountant, and remained with the Firm for 28 years until his death. Geoff has been a named partner of Ferguson Camp Poll, P.C. since 1999.
While at Ferguson Camp Poll, Geoff attended South Texas College of Law in the night program, earning his law degree and becoming a licensed attorney in 2001. He was a member of the Law Review and, while there, met many soon-to-be lawyers who went on to become lifelong friends.
During Geoff's time with the Firm, he touched the lives of clients, their families, staff, and colleagues—not simply in the services he provided, but with his genuine personal interest in all of them. He was not only intelligent and hard-working, but he brought skill and insights to client matters that went beyond what was found in the tax code. His deep relationships with members and staff at the Firm had a profound personal impact on their lives.
Geoff met his wife, Karlene, while they both were in law school. They married in 2001 in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Geoff's family was his everything. He adored Karlene, who inspired him to be his best and taught him that his heart had more capacity to love than he imagined. His love for his boys was unconditional. Alexander and Stephen came first. Geoff spoke of them, always, with great love and pride. More recently, in 2013, the Polls adopted Angel and Marcelo. Geoff was such a child at heart, spending weekends with the boys and gaggles of their friends riding bikes, camping, and swimming.
Geoff lived to serve. "What can I do for you?" was an oft-asked question. He loved to cook—a skill he took great pleasure in teaching his boys—and he cared deeply for his wide circle of friends and family. He believed in the dignity of all humans, regardless of their circumstances. His generosity of self was inspiring.
Following in his father's footsteps, Geoff loved to travel the world. The week of his death, he had just returned from Japan with his sons, Alex and Stephen.
Geoff also loved his neighborhood, the Heights, and was committed to the preservation of its rich history. The Polls' renovation of a 1918 Alfred C. Finn-designed, National Register home along Heights Boulevard earned the Good Brick Award in 2005 by Preservation Houston. This home is now the Houston Zen Center. They also carefully restored the family's current Heights home, a 1908 Queen Anne Victorian bungalow.
In addition to his immediate family, Geoff leaves behind his parents, Stephen and JoAnn Poll; siblings Timothy Poll and Brian Poll, and Brian's wife Suzanne; as well as his niece Erica Poll and nephew Nathan Poll—all of whom he loved dearly. He leaves behind too many close friends to count.
Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from five o'clock in the afternoon until eight o'clock in the evening on Wednesday, July 29, at the Bradshaw-Carter Home, 1734 W. Alabama Street in Houston.
The funeral service will be conducted at one o'clock in the afternoon on Thursday, July 30, at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, 1819 Heights Boulevard in Houston.
In lieu of gifts, donations may be directed to a non-profit established by Christ Church Cathedral to serve the Houston homeless population and it was one that both Geoff and Karlene volunteered at and held close to their heart; The Beacon, 1117 Texas Ave., Houston, TX 77002 (www.beaconhomeless.org).
Geoff's mind is at ease. His soul is at rest. He is dearly missed and loved. In his son Angel's words to his little brother Marcelo, "It is OK, he is in Heaven and can see us, we just don't get to see him for a while. Since everyone goes to heaven at a different time, it will just be a little while until we are all together again."





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