2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: Janie
Date: 08 Jan 19 - 03:31 PM

Ditto what Ebbie said.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: GUEST,Freda Underhill
Date: 08 Jan 19 - 09:57 PM

Shocked and very sad to hear Leo has passed on. I was lucky to meet him at a Getaway, what a lovely, talented man. Condolences and best wishes to all his family.
Freda

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: GUEST,Jan Pola Waggoner
Date: 14 Jan 19 - 06:34 PM

Here is Leo’s obituary for those who only knew him as the creative MMario: Leo M. Pola, of Keuka Park, NY, died on Dec. 28th, at his home. A native of Sandwich, Massachusetts on Cape Cod, he came to New York State to attend college. After graduating from Cornell University, he worked in restaurant management and computer services before retiring from Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES. He resided with his sister, Sue Tierney and her husband Peter Tierney, and helped to raise his nephew and niece, Peter Tierney and Kimberly Tierney.
He was an active member of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Penn Yan, NY, serving as acolyte director, treasurer, and member of the vestry. He helped to launch the church’s annual summer arts camp, Rise! Creative Camp, cooking in the camp kitchen.
For many years, he ran the pillow-fight and archery booths at the Sterling Renaissance Festival, where he discovered a love for improvisational street theater as well as folk and festival music. He was also a regular player in the annual Dickens Christmas in Skaneateles, NY, portraying Mr. Benjamin Loudlybellows, the town crier.
Always a creative spirit, the internet allowed him to share his creations with a wide, international community where he was fondly known as MMario. Knitting and crochet were lifelong hobbies, and he created hundreds of patterns for lace shawls.
The sixth of nine children born to Margaret and Carlo Pola, he is survived by all of his siblings; Carlo Pola and wife Karen; Jan Waggoner and husband Fred; Sue Tierney; Dianne Pola and Martin Hewlett; Nino Pola and wife Betty; Lauri Hall and Ken Lanagan; Velia Pola and husband Joe Steele; Tony Pola and wife Allison Liset; and numerous nieces, nephews, and godchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother-in-law, Peter Tierney.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, January 19th at 10:00 am at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 179 Main St., Penn Yan, NY. Memorial donations in Leo’s name may be made to St. Mark’s Episcopal Church.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 14 Jan 19 - 07:02 PM

Sorry to read this. He always seemed a very helpful chap. He gave Pip/mum one of his shawls (posted to the UK - neither of us ever met him) back in the days of the Annexe and it remains a treasured possession.

Sorry we are a bit late but condolences from both Pip and I.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: bbc
Date: 14 Jan 19 - 08:22 PM

Nice to “see” you, Jon!

best,

bbc

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: wysiwyg
Date: 14 Jan 19 - 09:06 PM

Thank you, Jan. That's him, to a T. I'm so sorry.

~S~

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: olddude
Date: 15 Jan 19 - 06:03 PM

A very fine man and good friend to everyone here. He will be sadly missed

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: GUEST,Open Mike
Date: 15 Jan 19 - 07:39 PM

I am a member of a knitting group where Mario (Leo) shared patterns and such. This group was originally a yahoo group. MmarioKknits has been online For 11 years as of new year's eve. I will share with the members there the lyrics of the shawlmaker as posted here. I am sure they will all appreciate it!

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: Jeri
Date: 15 Jan 19 - 09:03 PM

Thanks, Open Mike. I only wish Leo had seen it.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: GUEST,Open Mike
Date: 16 Jan 19 - 03:48 AM

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2310037365896185/members/          This is a face book group dedicated to MmarioKknits... Leo.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: Brakn
Date: 17 Jan 19 - 02:42 PM

That's sad news - been around here a while.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: wysiwyg
Date: 19 Jan 19 - 07:36 PM

Jan,

Tonight, being Episcopalians, we remembered two dear friends and the son of a dear friend at a private Mass at our home in Ohio. You were much in my thoughts.

These persons departed this life just as my priest husband Greg retired (and immediately following his retirement) from active parochial ministry. A priest without an altar makes one wherever needed-- today, at our living room dinette while snow and icy rain fell in darkness outside the big picture window that table overlooks.

Our service followed the BCP Order for Burial used at many memorial services in our denomination, with communion-- and with music from unusual sources (since my autoharp is packed). We prayed strength and healing for the bereft, during the music and throughout.

In memory of Leo Pola we hummed along with a YouTube video where he's songleading a rousing song by a mutual friend, in his usual RenFaire garb:
https://youtu.be/kwQAmwn5-N8

In memory of Dick Greenhaus of The Digital Tradition which is hosted at www.mudcat.org, we took a trip down memory lane via a video showing Mudcat folkies including Dick and his partner Susan Friedman. All these Mudcatters typically participated in folkie weekends at our PA rectory:
https://youtu.be/ocjMckTtZ1Y

In memory of Josh Harrigan Logan, we prayed through the Kontakion:
https://youtu.be/0ekoDO_4PBA

We gave thanks for these lives that touched our own.

~Susan Oldberg Hinton

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: GUEST,Jessica-Jean
Date: 22 Jan 19 - 06:22 PM

Life is unfair!

I regret that it took the news of Leo's passing to make me knit one of his shawls.

I wish I had as eloquent words as those who've posted before me.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: GUEST,Jan Pola Waggoner
Date: 25 Jan 19 - 12:09 AM

To Susan Oldberg Hinton and Greg - thank you so very much! It snowed a lot on the day of Leo’s service in NY too. Leo’s memorial service at his home church, St. Mark’s in Penn Yan, was beautiful. Our nephew Peter, who is an Episcopal priest, and the priest at St Mark’s, together led a mass that was very comforting, The church altar hangings used had all be created by Leo. The stoll worn by Peter was created by Leo. Many people in the congregation wore shawls created by Leo. At the reception, friends told so many stories that showed just how loved Leo was by his Renaissance, knitting, and Dickens friends. We are so comforted by knowing how many lives Leo touched.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: wysiwyg
Date: 25 Jan 19 - 07:24 AM

Jan, how I wish our retirement transition could have allowed us to get up to Penn Yan the 19th! If we can help in future in any way, just post a message to us in this thread.

Please know you'll all continue in our private prayers. May the days ahead burnish all the best memories.

Love,

~Susan & Greg

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Jan 19 - 10:18 PM

I am one of MMario/Leo's sisters (I am #2 of the nine of us; Leo was #6) Several friends of Leo's have asked where they might send donations as a memorial to him. The family has decided that any donations anyone wants to make in memory of MMario/Leo Pola may be sent to the scholarship fund that we all set up at our local high school after our parents died. The scholarship is for a graduating senior and will be awarded every spring. All nine of us planned to donate to the fund every year. The fund is named the Carlo and Margaret Pola Scholarship Fund, and the address is Sandwich High School Association PO Box 155 Sandwich, MA 20563. Thank you all for loving our brother Leo.

Subject: Obit: Leo Pola
From: Naemanson
Date: 23 Nov 23 - 08:25 PM

I know Leo has been gone for a while but none of the other topics fit. Wakana and I met Leo at a Mudgather during the only one of the FSGW fall gatherings we attended. He was... enthusiastic. We liked him immediately. I bought his Christmas CD and he knitted a lovely shawl for Wakana.

Today I dug out my various Christmas CDs intending to rip them for use on my phone. When I got to his it was blank. This was a heartbreaking moment for me. Admittedly Leo was more enthusiasm than talent. The title of his album makes that clear (Carols Loudly Bellowed). But I don't just admire talent and professionalism. I like any person's zeal when it comes to the music they love.

I have no idea why my CD is blank. I know I've listened to it many, many years ago. If anyone else bought his CD could you check to see if yours still has the music? Thanks.

Subject: RE: Obit: Leo Pola - in search of his CD contents
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Nov 23 - 10:28 PM

Blast from the past! We were his Secret Santa one year, and sent a lot of homemade goodies, including a lap quilt (I don't crochet or knit, so had nothing to offer along those lines).

I hope someone has that disk.

Subject: RE: Obit: Leo Pola - search for Carols Loudly Bellowed
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 24 Nov 23 - 03:57 AM

I think I have this CD buried somewhere in my sound storage racks, I remember him sending it to me,along with a wee note.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 25 Nov 23 - 08:37 AM

Yes I have found it and it isn't blank :)