Edith - age 93 - Los Alamos Potter

Edith Potter, 93, a resident of Los Alamos, passed away on Sunday, August 3, 2014 following a brief illness. She had been a sixty seven year resident of Los Alamos.\r\nEdith was born in October, 1920. Although raised on a farm near Goober town, Arkansas, she followed a family tradition of education, teaching schoolchildren of all ages and coaching girls’ basketball until she volunteered to serve in the Dept. of the Navy in Washington, DC during WWII.\r\nEdith had her eye on her future husband, Donald Potter, when they sang in the choir of the Paragould, Arkansas Methodist Church. Donald joined the Army Air Corps just before the war, and survived the attack on Hickam Field, Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. After completing his wartime service, he returned home to marry Edith in July, 1946.\r\nIn February, 1947, Edith and Donald adventured into the unknown, driving through a snow-storm up the winding dirt road to the gate of the then-secret town of Los Alamos, where they settled and raised a family. Donald worked as an electrical technician for the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory until 1966, when he suffered an untimely stroke.\r\nEdith had inherited a family characteristic of resilience, self-sufficiency, and service to others. She was a tireless caregiver. While caring for Donald and her two daughters, she returned to school, earned her Master's degree, and went on to teach 3rd and 4th grade during a 23-year career with Los Alamos schools.\r\nEdith was a founding member of the First Methodist Church of Los Alamos, serving on many of the committees and circles over the years. She was a master cook, winning medals and ribbons for her delectable baked dishes at county and state fairs and delighting family and friends with her southern fried chicken. She loved all sports. As a former basketball coach, she was an avid fan of the game and had a keen eye for strategies and tactics. She had no patience for teams that played dirty. Her sense of sportsmanship and fair play informed her politics.\r\nAll who knew her can attest to her Arkansas common sense and deep roots in southern values and culture. It is estimated that she taught over 400 elementary students in Los Alamos. That, plus playing bridge, and serving in the church kept her mind sharp and vigorous right up to the end of her long life. She touched countless lives in her community. She will be sorely missed.\r\nEdith is survived by her daughter, Nancy and husband Bob Porter of Salt Lake City, UT; daughter, Jan and husband John Eklund of Los Alamos; grandchildren, Sylvan Argo and companion Andrew Stocker, Eli Argo, Max Argo, Kristopher Eklund, Darin and Claresa Porter, Benjamin Porter, Matthew and Krystel Porter; and lovely great-grandchildren, Alora and Kyla Porter.\r\nPublic visitation will begin on Thursday, August 7, 2014 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Peace of DeVargas Funeral Home & Crematory. A service celebrating her life will be held Friday, August 8, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. at the First Methodist Church of Los Alamos at the corner of Diamond and Trinity. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to your local Parent-Teacher organization to support education for future generations.The family of Edith Potter has entrusted the care of their loved one to the DeVargas Funeral Home & Crematory of the Española Valley.\r\n \r\n

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