Arthur Jacques Poillon ’47

Jake died Dec. 2, 2011, in Fairhope, Ala. His career in the Marine Corps spanned 36 years, and he retired as a major general. This was followed by 32 years as a business leader and public servant.

Jake lived much of his early life in Camden, Maine, where he began a lifetime of sailing. Graduating from Groton Academy in 1943 he enlisted in the Marine Corps, and was a platoon sergeant at the end of World War II. Sent to the Princeton V-12 unit, then to OCS, he returned to Princeton as an NROTC instructor. After being elevated to assistant professor, he received a bachelor’s degree in history in 1952, then served in the Korean War. In Vietnam, Jake was an operations officer of an Army/Marine task force recapturing Hue.

As a two-star general, Jake commanded the Parris Island Recruit Camp while simultaneously commanding East Coast recruiting. He retired to Hilton Head in 1979, where his first wife, Natalie, died shortly thereafter.

In 1981, Jake married Virginia Garrett and actively pursued a new career — first as assistant director of Alabama’s State Docks, then as chief of staff for the governor. In 1994 he rejoined the business community as president of Wayfarer Marine Corp. in Camden.

The class extends fond memories of Jake to Virginia and their children.