Read Francis "J.R., Frank, Junior" Edward Poulin, Jr.'s Obituary & Leave Condolences

In memory of

Francis "J.R., Frank, Junior" Edward Poulin, Jr.

Petersburg, VA, USA

July 21, 1981 - April 9, 2021

Jul 21, 1981 - Apr 9, 2021

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Francis Edward Poulin, Jr., known by family and friends as JR, Frank, or Junior, passed away on April 9, 2021, at the age of 39. He died of heart failure, but in true JR fashion, he went out of this world giving to others through organ donation and ended up saving at least two lives.

JR was born in Waterbury, CT. He attended Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School. He tried numerous sports during his early years, but swimming had the biggest impact and would continue to be a passion for the rest of his life. During his years at John F. Kennedy High School, you would often find him in the pool or on the stage. He still holds the boy’s 500 freestyle record. JR attended Providence College where his love of theater and swimming continued.

After college, JR moved to New York to pursue acting, which led to the infamous “Jackhammer” story. He also spent a few years in LA working for Paradigm, before heading off to South Korea to teach English. Upon returning, he moved to the Virginia Beach area to attend Regent Law School. During his time at Regent, he began coaching age group swimming. This was one of his true joys and he often spoke of his kids and their accomplishments. After graduation, he continued coaching and found his way into local government. He worked for a number of years for the City of Suffolk, and hoped to someday move back to be closer with all of his friends there. In 2019, he moved to Peterburg, VA, and became the Director of Neighborhood Services for the city. He worked tirelessly trying to enforce code violations and help revitalize the city.

JR was a master storyteller and loved to write. In his spare time, he wrote a number of novels, had an agent, and even had one optioned for a movie, though nothing eventually came of it. He had a quick wit that made him fun to be around and an amazing heart. JR never met a person he didn’t know. He also loved dogs. In Petersburg, he often kept biscuits in his office for a local pup and was worried that his office mates thought he was consuming them.

JR was the son of Francis Edward Poulin, Sr, and the late Clare Poulin (Vitkauskas). He is survived by his father and stepmother, Nancy Poulin; his sisters and their husbands - Lindsey and Andrew Hopewell, and Ashleigh and Andrew Clairmont; his nephews and nieces - Anderson Hopewell, Aibreann Hopewell, Caspian Hopewell, Mackinley Smith, and Everleigh Smith; his best friends - Melissa Grosso, and Kara Amestoy; his two step-sisters and their families; as well as numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.

We know he is smiling down on us, laughing at the stupid things we do, and criticizing our clothing and movie choices.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to your local SPCA or YMCA swim team.

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