RICHARD REED POTTS
Richard Reed Potts, 72, of Oxford passed away Monday, Aug. 8, at the New York State Veterans' Home in Oxford following illness related to his service in Vietnam.
Richard was born Feb. 4, 1944, in Bay Shore, N.Y., the oldest son of James Robert and Vera (Page) Potts. He graduated from Ralph J. Osgood High School in Kings Park, N.Y., in 1962 and went on to earn both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s in engineering from Clarkson University, where he was a member of Triangle fraternity.
On Jan. 23, 1966, he married his high school sweetheart, Glenna Jordan, at Lucien Memorial Methodist Church in Kings Park. They celebrated their 50th anniversary earlier this year.
Richard was a member of Clarkson’s Army ROTC program and later served in Vietnam with the Army Corps of Engineers. His professional career included highway design with the New York State Department of Transportation, co-owning Rhinevault and Potts Surveyors in Norwich, N.Y., and more than 20 years with New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG), retiring as director of facilities management.
He was predeceased by his parents, his sister Roberta Kerekes and his brother-in-law Frank DeLise. He is survived by his wife, Glenna; his five children and their spouses – son Blyden and his wife, Allison, of Shippensburg, Pa.; son Timothy and his wife, Dari, of Afton, N.Y.; son Shannon and his wife, Danielle, of Binghamton, N.Y.; daughter Erin and her husband, Andrew, of Cockeysville, Md.; and daughter Courtney and her husband, John, of New Hartford, N.Y. – and seven grandchildren; as well as his sister Colleen DeLise of Kings Park; his brother and sister-in-law, James and Jeanne Potts of Smithtown, N.Y.; and several nieces and nephews.
A funeral service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday at the Oxford United Methodist Church, 36 S. Washington Ave. in Oxford, with burial with military honors to follow at the New York State Veterans’ Home Cemetery. Arrangements have been entrusted to Behe Funeral Home, 21 Main St. in Oxford. In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift in Richard’s memory to the NYS Veterans’ Home, 4207 State Highway 220, Oxford, NY 13830 or to the Lewy Body Dementia Association (www.lbda.org).
Arrangements have been entrusted to the Behe Funeral Home, 21 Main St., Oxford, NY. Friends and family may share their memories and condolences by visiting www.behefuneralhome.com.