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Obituary for Christopher H. Poehling


Christopher H. Poehling (10/04/1974 - 02/18/2022) Christopher Henry Poehling, age 47, passed away peacefully on Friday, February 18th, in the comfort of his childhood home, La Crosse, WI, with his loving mother by his side. Chris was born to Henry Richard Poehling and Sandra Carol Poehling (Lyon) on October 4th, 1974, at St. Francis Hospital in La Crosse, WI. Chris’s unexpected passing has broken the hearts of his family who loved him deeply and were his forever cheerleaders in life. “Critter”, as he was affectionately called, was bright, quick-witted, and embodied with a kind heart. He shared a lifelong devotion to baseball and the Chicago Cubs with his parents, brothers, and extended family members. Chris could converse with anyone he met on a wide range of subjects, always finding a common ground. His playful humor always left his family and friends laughing. Our thoughts will be consumed with happy memories of childhood family vacations, practical jokes, brotherly wiffle ball games, and fun times spent at sports stadiums. “Uncle Chris” was absolutely adored by his three nieces (Lauren, Hannah & Molly), who kept each other amused with their antics. Their daily conversations will leave an indelible void. Chris was blessed with so many gifts from a young age. He excelled in the classroom and was a spirited athletic competitor. He had a wide swath of friends throughout life, who gravitated to him as he was just a fun person to be around. His insight and attention to detail resulted in his achievement of sales success in his professional life. He was so looking forward to launching an e-commerce business with his older brother, Tom, in the coming weeks. His fondest memories growing up centered around his time at Blessed Sacrament and Aquinas High School. Chris was so thankful, appreciative, and proud of his family - especially his mom and dad for their resilience throughout life’s difficult times. One of Chris’s challenging times involved a teenage auto accident which changed the trajectory of his life. As a result, Chris courageously fought an emotional battle, never giving up on his quest for internal peace. We are comforted knowing that Chris is in the warm heavenly embrace of his Holy Father along with his brother and grandparents. Chris is survived by his parents, Sandra Poehling, and Henry (Karen) Poehling, La Crosse, WI; brothers, Patrick, Madison, WI, Thomas (Stephanie), Verona, WI; nieces, Lauren, Hannah, and Molly Poehling; sister-in-law, Angela Matthews; aunts/uncles, Richard & Linda Beggs, William & Elizabeth McKillip, William Poehling, Leo & Julie Poehling, Patricia Poehling, Mary Poehling; twenty-one cousins and many extended family members. He was preceded in death by his brother, Ryan; paternal grandparents, William & Mary (Olson) Poehling; maternal grandparents, Ronald & Marian (McDermott) Murray; uncles, Paul Poehling & Thomas (TP) Poehling; aunt, Jean Rodell; cousin, Holley Poehling. A private family service will be held at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church at a date/time to be determined. Chris will be interred at the St. Joseph Mausoleum in the La Crosse Catholic Cemetery. Jandt-Frederickson Funeral Homes of La Crosse is assisting the family. The family asks, in lieu of flowers, to consider a donation to either the “Aquinas Catholic Schools Foundation” or the “Ryan Michael Poehling Charitable Foundation” (427 N. 23rd St., La Crosse) which supports education and families in financial need.