Dr. James Poland passes away at the age of 92

James Poland, 92, of Frostburg, passed away on March 1 from a prolonged illness. Dr. Poland was a graduate of Beall High School and Frostburg State University. Jim was a veteran of the United States Navy and served in the Korean Conflict. He received his Doctor of Optometry degree from the Illinois College of Optometry. Dr. Poland was a practicing optometrist in Frostburg and then in Cumberland, Md., for 53 years. He built the Lifetime Eyecare Building in downtown Cumberland in 1997 along with his son and business partner Dr. Jeffrey Poland. Family and optometry were his passions in life. He was recipient of the Maryland Optometrist of the Year Award in 1976, and in 1997 received the Maryland Optometric Association Melvin Waxman Award for service to the optometric profession. He was a member of the Frostburg Rotary Club, the Ali Ghan Shrine Temple, the Masonic Lodge of Frostburg, the Allegany County Chamber of Commerce, the Frostburg Moose Lodge, the B.P.O. Elks, Maplehurst Country Club and Frostburg United Methodist Church. He served on the Board of Directors of Sacred Heart Hospital and the Board of Directors of Fidelity Bank.

Family and friends will be received at Durst Funeral Home on Thursday, March 5, 2026, from 4 to 7 p.m. A Funeral service will be Friday, March 6, 2026, starting at 10:30 a.m. Interment with military honors will be held at Rocky Gap Veterans Cemetery.