Louella "Lou" Elaine Poirier

Lou was born October 22, 1945 in Healdsburg, California, to James and Ruth (Hartman) Thompson. She weighed 9 lbs., 4 oz. and was the first of 4 children. Lou started her education at rural Cloverdale Elementary, moving onto junior and high school in Healdsburg, California, and graduated in 1963. Lou lived many places including Cloverdale, Sebastopol, San Diego, Windsor, Santa Rosa, Sonoma, and Healdsburg, California. In the mid 90s she moved to Molalla, Oregon, to be near her Aunt Stella. She resided in Molalla until 2014 when she moved to Albany to be near her son and wife.

Lou met and married Dennis Poirier in 1967 and he brought 3 of his sons into the marriage. In 1972, they had a bouncing baby boy they named Thomas. Sadly, they divorced in 1977. Lou worked for awhile at the state hospital in Napa, California. She then worked until retirement at Sonomoa County as an administrative clerk, ending as the new and upcoming “help desk” for new internet services just growing.

Lou always loved to drive and often a “little over the speed limit”. She said she learned to drive on her daddy’s tractor but has some good memories of learning to drive an old farm truck with "3-on-the-column". She always had an eye, though, on the fancy sporty ones, loving her new Dodge Charger she bought for herself.

Lou loved her books and passed her love of them on to many, especially her niece Paula. That little girl was her heart and joy and many waking hours were spent with her as she grew. Paula was the granddaughter of Marjann Fessler-Fitzgerald, Lou’s best friend since third grade. She also loved her cats and dogs, especially her grey hound Lucy Ball. Lou was always busy with something including cross stitch and crocheting.

She loved spending time with her nieces and nephews, “mothering” her siblings, rolling around the countryside with her friends, and going to church. She attended Molalla Assembly of God and missed them when she moved to Albany. Her biggest love was her son whom she loved beyond even her ability to do so.

Mostly, Lou was an incredibly generous woman trying to help someone. She was always getting people to “fall in love with her” because of her enormous heart or “sparky” personality. She gained many friends over the years but always led a melancholy life. 

Lou went to be with her Savior in the early morning hours of September 26, 2021. We will miss her but she is having a joyous party with her family who went before and, most assuredly, with Christ, where her every moment is better than the next.

Lou is survived by her son Tom and Melinda Poirier of Albany; brothers Dale and Cindy Thompson of Colusa, California, and Dan and Tammy Thompson of Williams, California; “extended family” Rosemary Fitzgerald, Paula and Brian Layman with their babies, Wade and Brooke Rowe; and many loving family members far and wide.

Lou was preceded in death by her parents; sister Ladon “Doni" Witt; brother-in-laws Butch Willis and Ray Witt; many aunts and uncles; and her grandma Melinda Louella “Linnie”, whom she was named after.
 
A Celebration of Life will be October 23, 2021, 11 A.M., at Grace Bible Fellowship in Albany, Oregon (with a small social after). A small family graveside service will occur at a later date at Santa Rosa Memorial Park, Shiloh Road, Windsor, California.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in her name to her favorite organization, Greyhound Pets of America Greater Northwest. Visit  www.gnwgreyhounds.org and make sure to include her name. 

AAsum-Dufour Funeral Home is handling the arrangements (www.aasum-dufour.com). 

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