Gwendolyn A. Potter

Annie Gwendolyn (George) Potter, age 93, passed away of natural causes on the morning of April 3rd, 2014 at Good Samaritan Village, Ft. Collins, CO.

Gwen was born May 14, 1920 on Lake View farm in East Lake, Colorado to Henry George and Annie (Phillips) George, first generation immigrants from Wales. The fourth of six children, she spent her elementary school years in a one room school house, later graduating from Boulder High School in 1938. Afterwards, she became a secretary, and then was employed by Swanson & Taylor, a local optometrist in Boulder until relocating to Wichita, KS for a new job, and to help with her sister’s growing family.

On May 17th, 1943 she married her high school sweetheart, Ralph Woodrow (“Woody”) Potter one week before he wassent to Europe for duty in the Army Air Corps. Upon completion of the war, they returned to Boulder where Woody finished college, and they began a family together. In 1949, with two new sons and a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Colorado, Woody was recalled into the U.S. Air Force and the family began a 26 year military career. Duty assignments included tours in New Mexico (where their third son was born), Germany, Nebraska, Alaska and New York. While residing in northeast New Jersey, Gwen worked for ten years as a personnel manager for Western Union and, Woody at the U. S. Military Academy, West Point, New York.

When both retired in 1977, they moved back to their beloved Colorado where they built their dream home in Loveland. After Woody’s passing in 1983, Gwen, always the passionately devoted mother, wife and friend to all, committed her time and energy to family, neighbors and worthy causes. Her hobbies and interests included her beautiful home, flower gardening, sewing, reading, listening to music and watching favorite TV shows as well as outings to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park where she loved viewing the wild animals and beautiful scenery.

Gwen is preceded in death by her parents, Henry and Annie George, husband Woody, sisters Gertrude George, Olwen Erickson, Katherine Stephenson, Mildred Hill, as well as, granddaughter Megan Lynn. She is survived by her brother Clifford George, sons Ronald (Judy), Gary (Becky), Steven (daughter-in-law Joann) and, grandchildren Randall (Joanne) Potter, Julianna (Jeff) Renaud, Katharine, Jessica and Ryan Potter and numerous nieces and nephews.

Interment will be held privately for family and close friends at Mountain View Cemetery in Boulder, scheduled for the morning of Saturday, July 12th, where her remains will be laid to rest beside her husband Woody. A Celebration of Life event for family and friends will be held that afternoon in Loveland.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made on Gwen’s behalf to the Larimer Humane Society. (5137 S. College Ave., Ft. Collins, CO 80525. Ph: 970-226-3647, www.larimer.humane.org.)

The family offers their deepest and most sincere thanks to the wonderful staff at Good Samaritan Village Ft. Collins for their love, devotion and the extremely attentive care given to enhance Gwen’s quality of life during the year and half she was in their safe keeping. Also deeply appreciated were the very supportive efforts rendered by Pathways Hospice of Ft. Collins in her final days.