Harumi Matsumoto Pottenger

It is with great sorrow that the Pottenger family announces the passing of Harumi Matsumoto Pottenger at age 62 in Phoenix, Arizona; she was surrounded by her children and left peacefully in the early morning of March 28th, 2024.

Harumi was preceded in death by her parents, Tomiko & Taisuke Matsumoto, and her husband, love of her life, and father of her children, David James Pottenger. Harumi is survived by her six children and one grandchild: Arthur Taisuke Pottenger and his daughter Isla Naomi Pottenger, Brennos Ryuji Pottenger, Maki Brigid Pottenger, Ayumi Epona Pottenger, Kana Boudicca Pottenger, and Hamish Saigo Pottenger. She is remembered by younger siblings Yasuko Sakamoto, Taiji Matsumoto, and Ryuichi Matsumoto, 9 nieces and nephews, and extended family and friends around the world.

Harumi was born in the late spring of 1961 in Kitakyushu, Japan. Ever compassionate and bright, she attended Shimonoseki School of Nursing as a teenager and spent many years as a surgical nurse. Harumi’s adventurous spirit led her to become a traveling nurse and she journeyed across the globe, including Hawaii, France, and Turkey. Soon after, she intertwined her passion for travel with her spiritual beliefs by embarking on an 18-month mission in the Philippines through The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. In 1989, Harumi fell in love with David and they married in Tokyo, Japan. Their union marked the beginning of a new chapter in life as the couple looked forward to becoming parents. The growing Pottenger family moved around the United States and Japan, including Arizona, New Mexico, Mississippi, and Fukuoka. Harumi and David remained steadfast in their commitment to each other and their children, creating a lifetime of memories that spanned continents and cultures. Following the passing of her husband in 2008, Harumi and her children found peace in the warm embrace of the Sonoran Desert and settled in Arizona. She concluded her long and varied career as a sushi chef at The Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain, approaching her craft with passion and dedication.

Harumi loved good food, new experiences, and laughing with her family. She devoted her life to her children, who grew up knowing that their mother’s love knew no bounds. Harumi was a gregarious person who never met a stranger and her infectious joy and sense of humor is deeply missed by all who felt the brilliance of her spirit. For information regarding the memorial service, please contact her daughter Ayumi at [email protected].

Best,

Ayumi