Charlene Kay Grimes Poulos

Our beloved Wife, Mom, Grammie, and friend Charlene Kay (Grimes) Poulos, started her new journey on Friday, February 19, 2010. Born on March, 6, 1940 in Grand Rapids , MI , Charlene grew up in Sand Lake , MI . In 1958, Charlene walked into a Kinney’s shoe store looking for shoes for her brother, when she met Peter Poulos who was working there. They started dating soon after and were married on September 5, 1959 in Fort Hood , TX where Pete was stationed in the Army. It was the beginning of a wonderful life together which lasted over 50 years. Before moving to Ann Arbor , MI in 1970 with their five children, they lived in Muskegon , MI for 9 years where Charlene taught Sunday school, and was Vice President of the Daughters of Penelope at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox church. Charlene created a home filled with love and closeness, instilling in each of us the belief that no matter what happens in life we have one another to lean on. With each item she made, it was created with love, from crocheting, knitting, and sewing, cooking and decorating cakes, growing unique and exquisite gardens, and designing projects of all kinds. There wasn’t anything she couldn’t figure out how to make because she had a passion to learn and loved sharing that with all of us. She would go out of her way to help others, whether it was shoveling a neighbor’s driveway, volunteering at the American Red Cross, leading a Girl Scout troop, running errands for Pete’s restaurant, always remembering everyone’s birthday with a card, or picking up grandchildren from school, she would drop everything to help out. Never complaining when she would exhaust herself from helping everyone else; Charlene would get up at the crack of dawn to do it all over again. Even with taking care of her oldest daughter, Theophany, who was left severely handicapped from meningitis at 18 months, she had this superhuman energy and strength that was truly admirable. From spring until fall, Charlene was a regular at the Farmer’s Market, where she knew everyone, and when winter came she found the time to build snowmen in the front yard because she knew the kids would like that. That was the hardest part of becoming inflicted with cancer, she couldn’t help others as much as she wanted to, and she was the one that had to be taken care of. For someone so independent and giving, this was not the easiest of tasks. Right up to the end, Charlene didn’t ever give up and was looking forward to what spring flowers she was going to plant with us. Charlene was a loving, caring, and unselfish lady with a true sense of humor and adventure, and she lives within each of us. Charlene will be greatly missed by her loving family, her husband Peter, her children Theophany Poulos, Julie (Allen) Williams, George (Sharon), John (Shirley), and Athena Garland-Poulos, her grandchildren Alexander and Kathleen Williams, Peter and Morgan Poulos, John Poulos, Michael and Nicholas Garland, and Isabella Poulos, her sisters Sylvia (Chip) Gable, Georgia (Dan) Shaw, and brothers Harry (Debbie) Grimes, John Grimes, and many nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles. She was preceded in death by her parents Bud and Betty Grimes and her brother Michael Grimes. We will always remember the smile on her face, the soft gentle touch of her hands, and the twinkle in her eyes. SMILE J

A celebration of Charlene’s life will be held on Friday, February 26th, at 11:00 am at St. Nicholas Church 3109 Scio Church Rd, Ann Arbor, MI. 48103. Viewing with be held on Thursday, February 15th, from 2-4, and between 5:30-8:00 at Muehligs Funeral Chapel at 403 South Fourth Avenue , Ann Arbor , MI 48104 . The Trisagion service will be at 7:30 pm. Charlene loved all kinds of flowers and they are welcomed. However, memorials may also be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. (https://www.leukemia-lymphoma.org) Envelopes will be available at the funeral chapel.