300: Two Dads Talk about Child Loss and Father’s Day (with Matt Poelman)

In today’s episode you will be hearing from Laura’s husband, Dave, along with a long-time friend, Matt Poelman, who lost his son, Eric, while serving in the military in Iraq.  Some of the things discussed were: The emotions Matt felt  How he and his wife, Sally, dealt with the death of their son differently How he feels about Father’s Day How losing his son has impacted his faith in God Matt also shares what it is like, twenty years later, offering hope to those who are just starting this journey, closing in a prayer especially for the listeners who are fathers. Matt Poelman has been a Christ-follower since his youth.  He was the 5th of 6 children whose family moved from the Netherlands to the state of Michigan.  Matt was born and raised in Michigan and the Chicago area.   When volunteering at a mission aviation facility in North Carolina, Matt met his wife, Sally, and they were married in 1980. They became a Gold Star family in 2005 when their son, Eric, lost his life in the Army while deployed in Iraq.   Matt has a twenty-six year aviation career in maintaining a variety of aircraft, and another twenty-one years as an instructor in avaiation maintenance. He has just retired from full-time teaching but continues with aviation for the FAA, testing graduate students to issue aircraft mechanic certificates.  Matt & Sally are enjoying their 5 grand-daughters and 2 grand-sons. (Note: The views and opinions of our guests outside of this podcast may not be in agreement with GPS Hope.) Links Mentioned in this episode: Find out more about the 2026 Grief Cruise and/or the Renew and Remember Retreat here. Click here to look at both the monthly and the yearly Reflections of Hope books.   Birthdays: Tyler Harkness was born on June 8 and left us at age 26.  Allie Custer was born on June 12 and left us at age 29.   If you would like your child mentioned on the podcast the week of his or her birthday, click here to fill out the short form with the needed information. The special song written for our children’s birthdays I Remember Well can be heard here. Remember to Hold On Pain Eases; there is HOPE! www.gpshope.org   To have Laura come and minister at your event, contact us at [email protected]. Grieving Parents Sharing Hope (GPS Hope) is here to walk with parents through the darkness of child-loss, guiding them to a place of hope, light and purpose. It is a safe place for anyone who has lost a child from this earth. There is no shame or judgment in where you are in this journey, including if you are struggling in your relationship with God or your faith has been completely shattered.