Curtis L. Potts

When Curtis Lynn Potts walked into the room, those in his company felt a palpable energy. This was just one of many qualities Curt had and how he impacted those around him. He was a smart and affable person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if he wanted to share in all of their experiences, revel in their lives, and celebrate their discoveries. He was tireless and seemed to have a boundless enthusiasm that served him well throughout his life.

      Growing up for Curtis was like one big burst of spontaneity personified. He loved to join in with friends and family in just about anything. This made his life interesting and led to what would be a wide variety of memories. Curtis was born on April 7, 1940, and first greeted the world in Oakdale, TN. His parents were Berdetta Ray Strothman and William A. Potts. Curt remembered his mom as someone who worked hard at providing for her children, and who took great joy in spoiling her grandchildren. She loved to go camping and teaching her grandchildren to play cards and how to fish. The cook stove his mother used during those early years operated on kerosene, which had a tendency to blacken the bottoms of pots and pans with soot. A favorite past time as a toddler was to crawl under the counter where they were stored and play with them, covering himself from head to toe with soot. That was when he picked up the nickname "Smokey" and it stayed with him for many years to come. His mother, a perfectionist at ironing clothes, also told the story of how he loved to pull his neatly stacked and perfectly ironed clothes out of the bureau, one by one, leaving them in a heap on the floor. Because of his father's profession and the fact that jobs were scarce, the family moved around the country a lot during early his early childhood. Later they settled in Jacksonville where he attended Kirby Smith Elementary School. Curt had a great sense of humor and was a natural entertainer, able to keep the people around him amused with stories and tales. While some who knew Curt might have described him as an idealist, his friends and family understood well that he was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities.

      Curt was very accepting and supportive of his family. He was perceived as the central person in his family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose, he was typically the person who tried to bring resolution and harmony. This quality, along with his quick wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of people were traits that drew the admiration of others and served him well in his adult life. He was raised with three siblings. Curt had a younger brother and sister, Don and Charlene, and an older sister, Peggy. As Curt was fourteen years older than his younger brother, he became a mentor in many ways and they remained close even as adults. Curt was close to his maternal grandmother, Pansy, with whom they lived during part of his early years, as well as his paternal grandmother, Wiley Cox. He was also close to other family members, especially his nieces and nephew.

      Even as a young boy, Curt was able to empathize and identify with many different kinds of people. This quality drew him into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. He was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with his peers. He was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. He enjoyed playing sports as a youngster, especially football. He always loved riding his bicycle and working with his hands with things like leather crafting, which he continued into adulthood. As a child, he developed a fondness for pets, especially his dog, Dobber, a boxer.

      During his high school years, Curtis responded enthusiastically to any new project and was normally in search of one adventure after another. He graduated from Andrew Jackson High School in 1959. He was a good student, and generally did well in his courses. Curtis absorbed as much as he could from all of his teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems using his imagination to master his assignments. Frequently, however, school became just an extension of playtime, thanks to his ability to turn anything into a game. He loved being on the football team and participating in sports related activities.

       For Curt, his life was just about as busy outside of high school as it was inside. With a talent for making friends easily, he was very sociable and could blend without effort into any number of different social groups. Assertive and outgoing, he was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. He always seemed aware of what was going on with people around him and throughout his life he made many, many friends. He maintained his friendships from high school throughout his life and attended their alumni functions.  Curt learned about taking responsibility and the value of hard work during these early years. He held many part time jobs while in high school, and spent some time as a bag boy at Winn Dixie.

      Curt was very adaptable, a quality that helped him make the decision to further his education. He attended FCCJ and earned his AA degree in Transportation and Logistics, while working full time.This desire to take on new challenges helped him as he waded his way through many difficult classes. As is the case with most people, Curt had some stories about his college professors, including one who would erase the beginning of a math problem from the board (in order to write the end of the problem) before the students had time to copy any of it to their paper.

      Curt was warm and sensitive in all of his relationships. His wife, Jan, discovered this firsthand. They met at a dance, sharing many dances together and becoming acquainted with each other during the course of the evening. They found themselves returning to the same dance hall on many dates, as that was one of their favorite activities. Curt loved jazz and rock and roll music from the 50's. He was such a good dancer that he had an opportunity in high school to appear on Dick Clark's American Band Stand.

     He exchanged vows with Jan on September 14, 1963. Jeanette Laney, the bride's sisterinlaw, served as Matron of Honor, and William (Billy) King as Best Man. The wedding took place at Arlington Baptist Church in Jacksonville, attended by family, close friends and co-workers. The ceremony was officiated by Reverend Grady Snowden followed by a wedding reception in the fellowship hall of the church. After the wedding, they enjoyed themselves on their honeymoon in the Great Smokey Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee.

       Curtis's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in his ability to keep his new family happy. He was quite sensitive, always showing his constant concern and fondness. Curt was tenderhearted, a quality that served him well in helping to nurture his family. During those first years together, he and Jan lived rather modestly. Their first residence was a small three-bedroom house on King Arthur Road. It was very small, but cozy and comfortable. In 1967 they purchased a house in the Holly Oaks neighborhood off Ft. Caroline Road where they lived for the next 44 years, and where Jan still lives today.

       The couple made a number of good friends as they were building their family, including Austin and Leila Jeffords, their next door neighbors, with whom they remained close friends throughout their lifetime. Austin took them on some of his Greyhound bus tours, and Leila, who was a marvelous cook, frequently brought over food for the family. One of her specialties was homemade biscuits, ready to put in the oven to bake. The two families shared many wonderful times together. Their daughter, Iris, became a beloved babysitter for both girls as Jan returned to work, and to this day considers Cheryl and Stacey as "her girls."

The family also included several pets, especially Daphne, their miniature poodle, and Ebony, their toy poodle. One of Ebony's favorite places to relax was in the recliner with Curt, nestled in his arm with her head on his chest. He used to hold her up to the window so she could see the squirrels out in the yard, whispering in her ear that she needed to go out and chase them away. Ebony continued to listen for his car in the driveway and to look for him in the house after he left us for his heavenly home.

       Throughout his life, Curt was always able to build a consensus, and he usually seemed to be the person in the middle of things, working to achieve goals. Those who had the opportunity to work with him usually agreed that when you were involved in an activity with him, it was as entertaining as anything you could imagine. He always seemed willing to join in and help, regularly getting involved in church activities. His gifts of planning and improvisation, along with a talent for rallying support, made him a great asset. He found new ways of getting things done in order to help make just about every job more efficient and enjoyable.

      Curtis was a natural and creative parent who wanted to provide his family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. He was blessed with two daughters, Cheryl Lynn and Stacey Melinda, and for him parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of his life. He was involved in every activity, from chores to homework and bedtime routines. His skill at understanding his family members’ feelings, his sensitivity to their needs, and his gift for gentle persuasion enabled him to find novel solutions to any of the various family problems or situations that might have arisen.

       Because Curtis was so attuned to his family, and especially his girls, he worked hard to raise them in a nurturing environment. Their house on Holly Oaks Lake Road, E., had a spacious yard with plenty of room for kid friendly activities. He and his stepfather built a playhouse in the back yard for the girls, which they enjoyed very much. They also had a tire swing, a sand box, a swing set, etc., and loved spending time outside with the family's beloved black lab who protected and watched over them. In return for the energy he expended, his girls provided him with a great deal of pride and joy. The family frequently vacationed in North Carolina with the children's' grandparents. As they lived close to the mountains, day trips were possible to places like Tweetsie Railroad, the Blue Ridge Parkway and other places of interest in the Smokies.

       Later in life, he was also blessed with one granddaughter, Sophia Grace, with whom he loved spending time. They participated in some of the workshops for kids held at Home Depot and Lowes, building various and sundry items from wood. He also loved showing her how to use his leather crafting tools when they spent time together in his workshop.

      Curt was uplifted by new ideas. New possibilities always seemed to excite him. These were traits which made him an exceptional worker. His primary occupation was working in the oil industry, first with Texaco and later with Amerada Hess Corporation.  He was enterprising, inventive, and often energized when working against deadlines. He served his country in the U. S. Air Force Reserve and later in Company A, 3rd Special Forces Battalion, 20th Special Forces, Army National Guard & Reserve. His fellow soldiers could count on him for being able to make adjustments to any situation as needed.

      Curtis loved to have a broad variety of activities in his life, and he continued to pursue numerous hobbies. His favorite was being in his workshop for wood and leather crafting. He had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of his favorite pastimes. His ever-present concern for others, however, always took precedent.

     He enjoyed many things throughout his life. When it came to food and drink, he enjoyed a good steak or hamburger cooked on the grill, spaghetti, lasagna and iced tea. Curtis' favorite movies were any that starred either John Wayne or Clint Eastwood. He also loved the TV shows "Survivor" and "The Amazing Race".

       Curt derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. His charisma, supportive nature, and ability to help others all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. He also enjoyed watching his favorite teams and events whenever he got the opportunity, especially the Florida Gators and the Jacksonville Jaguars.

      Curtis was a man who was devoted to his faith. He was a true servant who loved his church, and served as a preschool teacher, deacon, usher, and especially loved cooking for his church family. He was sympathetic and able to empathize with others and he used these qualities to the fullest while working tirelessly for his beliefs. He inspired many others, as he dealt with and continued to carry on with his responsibilities throughout his illness.

      Planning ahead for retirement, Curtis handled it the way he usually did. He adapted and, like everything in his life, made it satisfying. The day finally arrived in 2002. Since he was such a flexible person and able to adjust to any situation, retirement was just another enjoyable change of pace for him to experience. Even in retirement, he found it easy to make new friends while continuing to stay in touch with his high school friends from Andrew Jackson.

  Curtis Potts left us on June 21, 2011. He passed away at The McGraw Center in Jacksonville, Florida at the age of 71. The cause of death was metastatic colon cancer, which he battled for 7 long years. He was preceded in death by his father and mother. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Janice Laney Potts, and daughters Cheryl Lynn Potts and Stacey Melinda Shelton (husband Leon) and granddaughter, Sophia Grace Shelton. Services were handled by Hardage-Giddens Funeral Home and he was laid to rest at Chapel Hills Memory Garden in Jacksonville, Florida. The memorial service was held at Parkwood Baptist Church at 11:00 AM on June 25, 2011, with Rev. Manny Keyser officiating. Musical selections performed by Kathy Lane, Angelo Goderre, Sam Ferguson, Stacey and Sophia Grace Shelton included "Hush Somebody's Calling my Name," "Swing Low Sweet Chariot," "If I Fall," and Angelo Goderre's beautiful violin rendition of "Amazing Grace" for the benediction.

Curt had a certain style and inventiveness which we will never forget. He was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. He had a knack for being clever, creative, and witty, which meant that for others, he was a joy to be around. While he was sometimes fiercely independent, many others looked to him for inspiration, leadership, wisdom, and especially courage. He was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with those he loved, and we miss him terribly.

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Curtis Lynn Potts, 71, of Jacksonville passed away Tuesday, June 21, 2011, after a courageous 7 yr battle with cancer. He was born April 7, 1940, in Oakdale, TN. He will forever remain an inspiration to all of those whose lives he touched with his quiet inner strength. Curtis was preceded in death by his parents, Wm. A. Potts and Berdetta R. Strothman. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Janice Laney Potts, and daughters Cheryl Lynn Potts and Stacey Melinda Shelton (husband, Leon); and granddaughter, Gracie Shelton. Other survivors: a brother, Don J. Marshall of St. Louis, MO., sisters Charlene Bonney of Hillsboro, TX, and Peggy Allen, of Jacksonville, FL and many adoring nieces and nephews. Curtis was a true servant who loved his church, and had served as a preschool teacher, deacon, usher, and especially loved cooking for his church family. He also enjoyed being in his workshop for wood and leather crafting while imparting his wealth of knowledge to his only grandchild. Curtis served his country in the U. S. Air Force Reserve and later in Company A, 3rd Special Forces Battalion, 20th Special Forces, Army National Guard & Reserve. He retired from Amerada Hess Corp after 25 years of service. The family invites friends to Hardage-Giddens Chapel Hills Funeral Home, 850 St. Johns Bluff Rd., for visitation Friday, June 24, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM and to the funeral service at Parkwood Baptist Church, 7900 Lone Star Rd., at 11:00 AM Saturday, June 25. Interment in Chapel Hills Memory Gardens will follow the service. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate memorials to Parkwood Baptist Church or N.E. Florida Community Hospice.