Peter Andrews Poole, 86, a foreign service professional, university professor, and writer, died from dementia and complications following a fall, in his family home in Sugar Hill, New Hampshire, on October 4, 2020. Born in New York City, the son of Caroline (Clarke) and William Morris Poole, he was raised in Weston, Connecticut, and enjoyed many summers visiting his grandparents Margaret and Ernest Poole in Sugar Hill. He was educated at Holderness School, Columbia University (BA), Yale University (MA) and American University (PhD).
Following service in the New York National Guard, in 1959 he received an appointment as Foreign Service Officer and was posted to Cambodia and Thailand. After that he taught political science at Howard University, the Naval War College, and Old Dominion University before joining the Central Intelligence Agency as an analyst. Peter Poole was also a prolific writer, publishing cultural and political studies of Southeast Asia, China, and Eastern Europe as well as The Sliver Heron, an audio book based on his foreign service experience.
His first wife, Rosemary Sullivan, an art historian, died in 2013 after 49 years of marriage. He is survived by his second wife, Alice (Bowdoin) Poole, with whom he enjoyed his retirement in Sugar Hill. He is also survived by his twin brother, Frederick King Poole (Marta Szabo) of Woodstock, NY; cousins H. Robert Lanchester (Cynthia) of Easton, NH; Christine D. Lanchester (Daniel) of Bethlehem, NH; and David Poole of New York.
He was a devoted stepfather of Kathleen James-Chakraborty (Sumit) of Dublin, Ireland; Sally Murray James (Daryl J. Kimball) of Washington, DC; Macgill James of The Woodlands, TX; and Nina James Antonetti (Martin) of Lakewood Ranch, FL. For Amelia James, who made her home with him, and his five other step-grandchildren, he was a beloved and engaged mentor.
The extended family is grateful to the North Country Home Health and Hospice Agency for the invaluable care provided by its stellar staff, and to Roxie Wessel and Rose Newton for their skilled support and great kindness.
A memorial service will be scheduled at a later date.
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