Friends of the 48-year-old Poarch are mourning his death after a boating accident on Lake Lewisville, remembering him for his larger-than-life personality.
LAKE DALLAS, Texas — Friends and loved ones are remembering 48-year-old Jeffrey Poarch as a man who never met a stranger. He died in a boating accident on Lake Lewisville over Memorial Day weekend.
According to Texas Game Wardens, officers were called to Eagle Point Marina around 7 p.m. Sunday, May 24. Investigators said Poarch fell into the water and was unable to safely get back into the boat or onto the dock.
In Lake Dallas, friends remember the man they affectionately called “Jeffy” or “Poarch.”
“I love you, Jeffy,” friend Mack Collins said. “There’s a hole in all of our hearts that’s not ever, ever, ever going to be filled.”
For friends like Sara Hagen, she’s still trying to come to terms with his death. “It doesn’t feel real at all,” Hagen said.
Hagen said Poarch was woven into the routines and friendships of everyday life.
“We had a routine to come here [to Walter’s Tavern] first, and then [Mack] would get off work and then they would go to see me at work [at the American Legion Post 88], and we had our things and our routines that we did,” she said. “And Jeff was always a part of every bit of it.”
Friends described Poarch as outgoing, funny and deeply caring — someone who could make anyone feel like family within minutes of meeting him.
“By the time you walked out the door, he’d probably tell you about his Corvette and about all the random things he likes to do and buy you a drink,” Hagen said.
Collins said Poarch’s personality filled every room he entered.
“He sang ‘Happy Birthday’ louder than anybody ever in the whole wide world,” Collins said. “And he did that for everybody whose birthday it was.”
Those closest to him said they are trying to focus on celebrating the joy he brought to others.
“He would appreciate being remembered,” Collins said.
“He was the biggest teddy bear, the best friend,” Hagen said. She hopes others can experience the kind of friendship Poarch gave so freely.
“I hope that everyone can have a Jeff in their life,” she said.
Jeffrey Poarch’s memorial service will be held on June 5, 2026.