William "Bill" Poist was born on June 11, 1939 in Hanover, PA to Elizabeth Krug and J.E. Poist.  He is survived by his beloved wife of nearly forty-seven years, Ann Alexander, and his beloved son, Jamie Poist, both of Ocean Ridge, Florida.  He is also survived by his sister, Barbara Poist Huston, and her husband, James Huston; and by his nephews, James Huston, and his wife, Vicki, and Sean Huston, and his wife, Gen along with their children, Jack, and Libby, all of Hanover, PA.

Growing up, Bill embraced athletics, excelling both on the basketball court and on the tennis court.  But tennis was his lifelong passion, and it was tennis that provided him with so many treasured moments, friendships, and experiences, both around the country and throughout the world.

In high school Bill was a letterman on the varsity basketball and tennis teams.  He was all-state in basketball.  He received scholarship offers, which ultimately took him to Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio, where he was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity.  He played basketball his freshman year, but ultimately, he devoted himself to the tennis team.  He racked up unprecedented victories, winning conference, regional and NCAA tournament matches and titles, culminating in his induction into the Ohio Wesleyan Athletic Hall of Fame in 1971.  He finished his college career with a record of 47-5 in singles and 44-3 in doubles.  Prior to graduation, he took six months off from college in order to train and receive instruction at the tennis training facility run by Chris Evert's father in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

He studied abroad at The Institute in Perugia, Italy, where he hoped to play tennis.  But, after weeks of record rain, he left and worked in Milan.  Then he spent the winter in Lech am Arlberg, Austria, where he worked as a night porter in a small hotel and skied during the day.  Then, when the snow melted, he headed to England to play tennis.

Upon obtaining his undergraduate degree, he pursued a Masters Degree in Public Relations at Boston University, while spending his summers as Tennis Director at the Corinthian and Eastern Yacht Clubs, where he developed a passion for sailing.  For Bill, sailing provided lots of wonderful experiences and friendships, many while crewing on racing teams up and down the East Coast over the next few decades.  Sailing was also a passion that he and his wife were able to share during their courtship.  So it was no surprise when Bill found an antique wooden gaff-headed sailboat in Maine and trucked it to Annapolis, MD, where he and several of his sailing friends helped to restore the "Oh Hell Yeah".

Bill was grateful for the ability to play competitive tennis well into his late 70's.  At the four nationally sanctioned tournaments held annually by the United States Tennis Association (USTA), Bill was thrilled to have had great success in winning gold, silver and bronze ball prizes over the course of his long tennis career.

Bill played in tennis tournaments in Europe, South America, and Asia through the International Tennis Federation (ITF).  In 2015, when he was 75, he had the distinction of being ITF's number one ranked player in his age category in the entire world.  Truly, a crowning achievement.

Bill began his career in public accounting in 1966 by working for a small CPA firm in Westminster, MD.  Thereafter, he quickly moved into a consulting position with Professional Business Management, Inc. (PBM), in Washington, DC.  While there he helped doctors, dentists, and other medical professionals by providing them with tax services and counsel on a variety of issues.  Over his eight years with PBM he became an invaluable asset to many doctors and their offices in the Washington, DC area, and cultivated many relationships that endured for decades.

Then, in 1974, he decided to start his own tax, financial and professional consulting firm, Management Consulting for Professionals, Inc. (MCP, Inc.)  Bill then studied long and hard at night, and earned both a Masters in Taxation and his CPA accreditation.

For almost five decades Bill dedicated himself to providing his clients with sage advice and counsel on all matters relating to finance and taxation.  He was much more than just a tax advisor to his clients.  Thus, he truly cared about and fully engaged with each of his clients.  He learned about their families, and he assiduously followed their growth, both professionally and personally.  He laughingly, but lovingly, referred to himself as a "financial psychiatrist".  Mostly though, and with consummate grace, he just listened.  In short, he always went above and beyond for his clients and their families. Playing a meaningful role in their lives always brought him the utmost joy and satisfaction.  Not surprisingly, Bill continued to be fully engaged in his tax practice right up until the end.

Bill's wisdom, wit, and wry smile will be sorely missed by his clients, friends and family.  And yet, even as we mourn Bill's passing, we cannot help smiling our own wry smiles, as we celebrate and fondly remember Bill Poist's exceptionally well lived life.

As per Bill's wishes, he was cremated on April 12 ^th .  A celebration of his life will be held at a later date.

If you wish to donate in memory of Bill Poist, then please send donations to: York Adams Community Tennis Association, 225 Bowman Road Rear, Hanover, PA 17331 Click Here to Donate Online or to the charity of your choice.