Emily Poole

Mr. Andy Tang

Profile Assignment

November 24, 2019

Walking on the Wild Side

Father, friend, role model, uncle, son, hard worker, lawyer, and traveler all in one. James

Michael Poole – a man most look up to and love to spend time with. You can find most people

calling him Jimmy, Jim, Dad, or Uncle Jim. As Jim’s son says, “Entertaining” is the perfect way

to describe having him as a father. You can always find him laughing and making the most of

every situation with his wife and four kids. Jim is known to be the life of the party, an

adventurer, and he wants the best for everyone in every situation.

Jim grew up in the hills of Rancho Palos Verdes, attending Holy Trinity Catholic School,

Loyola High School, and Miraleste High School. James was a very active boy growing up and

played many sports, while prioritizing baseball and football. Ken Poole describes raising Jim as “

he is one of six, the other five being all girls. He was more under the radar because of all the

chaos of his sisters. Raising him was something special, him and I being the only boys in the

house”. Ken enjoys skiing with Jim and taking risks on the mountain together. “I remember one-

time Jim and his friends went up to mammoth mountain, and to no surprise, they ended up going

so far off trails they had to get helicoptered off the mountain. The ski patrol said he was lucky to

still be alive! Thank god we never saw that air lifting bill!” Ken explained. His favorite memory

with Jim growing up was travelling with him to Spain for the Olympics. Jim was in his twenty’s

and studying law at Cambridge University in London, England. He met his family front of a
statue at exactly 6pm in Seville, Spain, and they beginner an adventure they would tell stories

about for lifetimes to come. “We were filming a reality tv show of our family at the time, it was

about an American family going to Spain for the Olympics and it would be aired all over the US,

for many families to see back in the states” Ken explained. Jim and his family had the time of

their lives, traveling all over Spain and watching the Olympics. “Your dad was always one to

meet people everywhere he went, especially when he studied abroad after college, he met all of

his friends from Australia; Ben, Glenn, Billy and still remains in great contact with them” Ken

further explained.

Although James’ life has been filled with adventure and thrill, he developed a

neurological medical condition in his late 20’s. “It is hard to watch someone go from perfect

health to a daily struggle over a freak accident out of there control” Ken explained. James was

having a normal weekend out with friends from Australia, they were all having a good time at

the bar, in a responsible way. A stranger happened to get into a fight with the bouncer. As Jim

was trying to leave the bar, the bouncer accidentally punched Jim in the head, leaving him with

severe brain damage, causing him to suffer with seizures. “Thankfully, he can still have a family

and live a normal life because of medication he is prescribed too, but we are thankful that

nothing more happened.”

Cheryl, Jimmy’s wife describes him to be “very friendly and a hard worker. Everyone

that meets him likes him; from the grocery store clerk to the man at the gas station, he becomes

friends with anyone he meets. He has also worked at Boeing for 30 plus years and puts diligence

and intelligence into everything he does. He is very analytical and loves to work on projects

around the house and knows the answer and can fix almost anything”. After having four

children, James has become more responsible, “He cares for and loves his children. He puts them
before anyone and wants the best for all of them” Cheryl explains. “He loves to surf, and you can

find him at the beach every morning catching waves, he is definitely more outdoorsy than me.

He loves to make everything an adventure, especially when we are traveling.” Cheryl says. “My

honeymoon with Jim was definitely unforgettable. We went snorkeling and rented a jeep went

around the island as newlyweds”.

Just like Jim and his dad, Nolan and Jim share a similar bond. Nolan says “My dad is one

of 6, him being the only boy and I am one of 4, myself being the only boy. He has taught be how

to be a good brother and how to go to the end of the world for your sisters, and always have their

back. I look up to my dad to seek advice on how to be a good brother to my sisters.” Nolan and

Jim share the love they have for surfing together, “My dad taught me to surf pretty much the

moment I could swim, and I instantly fell in love with it. Sometimes we get competitive over

who is better, but we all know it’s me. My dad is just so tall its harder for him to pop up fast

once he has caught the wave while I’m so small, it’s so easy for me to stand up.”

James has radiant heart for all those he comes in contact with. He puts everyone before

himself and looks to his dad for advice when teaching his children. James lives his life like there

is no tomorrow, while setting forth a great example for all.