Islander Marijane Welch Poole Was Full of Chilmark Wisdom

By MARY BRESLAUER

Marijane W. Poole, who lived for nearly 40 years in the family home that her husband built on Menemsha Crossroads in Chilmark, died July 6 following a stroke and a serious car accident. She was 71 years old, and the only daughter of the rambling Welch household in Tisbury where her father was the assistant post master for many years.

Mrs. Poole was, above all, devoted to her family which included her son, Matthew E. and Patty Poole of Chilmark, and their three children, Alex, Natalie and Benjamin, and her daughter, Jennifer P. and David Sausville of Falls Church, Va., and their two young sons, Hayden and Luke.

When Matthew A. Poole, her husband of 41 years, died suddenly in 1997, she joined the Circle of Friends at the West Tisbury Congregational Church which was a mainstay to her nearly every Monday morning for the past eight years. Founded by Hospice for widows and widowers, Marijane never missed a meeting.

"Marijane had wit, wisdom and a sense of Island connection that did us all good," said her friend Varian Cassat.

In these last years, she accompanied her brother Justin and his wife Violet for monthly, sometimes semi-monthly, shopping sprees off-Island. They called themselves The Three Musketeers, and the highlight of each excursion was a swing through Home Depot and lunch.

Marijane was one of five children and the only daughter of Milton and Rose Welch. According to Justin, her parents always had a list of chores for the crew to accomplish. Of particular dread to the young Welches were the weekends at their camp on Lambert's Cove with no electricity or running water and fields to clear and rhododendrons to plant.

Matt and Marijane attended the Tisbury School when it served as Chilmark's high school. While their paths crossed many times, they courted when Matt was in the U.S. Coast Guard and stationed in Menemsha, and married shortly after he completed his service in 1956.

Marijane settled with Matt in a camp he built in anticipation of their marriage. The cottage became a rental property when he completed the main house for what became a family of four. This winter, acting on a long-held vision, Marijane completed a screened porch and garage, effectively giving the Poole homestead a whole new look.

For many Chilmarkers and summer regulars, Marijane is best remembered behind the counter of the Menemsha Deli which she and her husband owned for 16 years, beginning in 1982. While Matt was on call for every leaking pipe or refrigeration mishap, it was Marijane who ran the business, arriving early each morning to open, and closing it at the end of the day. Many young Vineyarders spent a summer or two manning the cash register or the sandwich bar, including her daughter Jennifer, her niece Blythe Saye, daughter-in-law Patty, Gloria Taylor and Margaret Bradley D'Angelo.

The sandwich specials with Vineyard names such as the original Fred Fisher were largely of Marijane's imagination. Sometimes it was a collaborative effort like the Carly Simon Marijane offered in honor of her then-Menemsha neighbor. The ever-changing pictures on the wall were ones crafted and signed by children of friends or simply young, visiting contributors. To share a coffee with her in those years, one learned to come between the breakfast and lunch run, or at the end of the day when she tallied the register and Matt washed the floors after a full day of lobstering. It was hard to imagine two people who worked harder or took more pride in their endeavors.

The idea of a deli actually originated in Vineyard Haven when the Pooles joined forces with Justin Welch. While the Main Street deli served Islanders year-round, the Menemsha Deli opened its doors around Memorial Day and closed on Columbus Day. The pace was frenetic and after a few years, the Pooles chose to solely own and manage the Menemsha business.

And when there wasn't a deli, or even when there was, there was always a project. The Pooles also managed three rental properties, including Matt's grandparent's home on the top of the hill in Menemsha which they completely renovated in the early 1980s. While Matt did the sorely needed carpentry repairs and craftsmanship, Marijane scraped, painted and created a home that remained authentic to its era while it was transformed into a charming and comfortable retreat. Sitting as it does, high above the harbor, Marijane organized many family barbecues which always ended in an exquisite sunset.

Marijane served three terms on the Chilmark school committee, a period marked by the first significant change to the two-room school house. At the time, it was determined that an addition was needed to both address the growth of the town and improve the curriculum. But many in town did not want the school profile to change. The proposal eventually passed with a former school committee member calling Marijane's leadership "one of the guiding lights for the school."

There was always a dog or two in the Poole household and recently, Marijane enjoyed the companionship of Minnie, her small, older, mixed breed who occupied the end of the couch. It was a dog her brother Justin insisted she adopt from the MSPCA, not long after she put her last dog down, and it was just the right match. And Minnie, always given that last bit of swordfish or chicken after dinner, knew she had it made.

In addition to her immediate family, Mrs. Poole is survived by three brothers, Malcolm, Basil and Justin Welch, their wives and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her brother Neil.

There will be a graveside service at 2 p.m. at Abel's Hill Cemetery on Sunday, July 10. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in her name to The Friends of the Chilmark Public Library, P.O. Box 434, Chilmark, MA 02535.