Donald Louis Potter

Donald Louis Potter, age 84, of San Diego, California, died suddenly Monday, December 3, 2012 at his home in Poulsbo, Washington. Born July 2, 1928, in San Diego, California, he was the son of the late Irven P. Potter and Eleanor Schabbell, the beloved husband of Joan Potter and the beloved brother of Neil Thompson.

Following graduation from Hoover High School in San Diego, California in 1946, he enlisted in the Army. He served in the Army artillery in West Germany during the Korean War. Following his Army service, he was a General Building Contractor and the owner of Potter Construction in San Diego, California for more than 50 years.

Don enjoyed his family and relished many close lifelong friendships, fishing, boating, guns and competitive shooting and was a skilled marksman. He was an avid fan of the Padres baseball team and the Chargers football team. He loved Western lore, Western movies, and Western art and was an avid golfer. Don also loved wood working and old cars. Everyone who met Don enjoyed him and found him to be easy going with a good sense of humor. He was an optimist and a hard worker who was always busy learning or trying something new. He and his wife, Joan, enjoyed traveling together and kept a diary of their journey to her native England.

He is survived by his wife, Joan Potter, formerly of San Diego, California and now residing in Poulsbo, Washington, along with four step daughters, Pam Fuhr of Milan, Illinois, Brenda Wilson of Evansville, Indiana, Cherie Baker and granddaughter Jenny Mary Meehan, of Loganville, Georgia, Jerie Hartman, of Mesa, Arizona; an estranged son from his first marriage and granddaughter in Seattle, Washington, and his brother, Neil Thompson, formerly of San Diego, California residing in Maryland.

At Don’s request, no service was held. According to his wishes, he was cremated at Miller-Woodlawn Funeral Home in Bremerton, Washington and will be interned in El Camino Mortuary in San Diego, California.

The family suggests that memorials may be given in his memory to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, 322 Eighth Ave., 7th fl., New York, NY 10001 or 1-866-232-8484. (http://www.alzfdn.org/)