David Allan Potter, 79, of Kittery Point, Maine and Venice, Florida, passed away on November 28, 2025, after a long battle with cancer. David was born on March 7, 1946, to Theodore Allan Potter and Delores Charlotte Potter of Saco, Maine. David was a devoted husband to Mary Reilly Potter for 56 years. David was a loving brother ("Bruddy") to Deborah Potter Keane, and a kind father to Sarah Reilly Potter and Martha (Stowell) Potter Luttrell. David was also a hero to his grandchildren, James Michael Luttrell, Lauren Christina Luttrell, and Madeline Potter Lewis, who called him "Papa" after his preferred golf-pun moniker "Par-Par" failed to stick.
David met Mary when they were born within two days of each other in Webber Hospital in Biddeford, Maine. They spent more than two decades apart until being reintroduced in 1968 at the Saxony in Old Orchard Beach, Maine. David's signature patience paid off, and he and Mary were married a year later. David and Mary spent many happy years visiting Ireland and Scotland, exploring different cities on their road trips between Maine and Florida, and discovering the key ingredients to build a marriage that lasted more than half a century.
David was a graduate of Thornton Academy in Saco, Maine, and Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania. David was a naturally gifted teacher. For most of his forty-plus year career, Mr. Potter taught eighth grade English at Frisbee Middle School and Shapleigh School in Kittery Maine. David was respected by his fellow teachers for his dry wit, calm demeanor, and steadfast refusal ever to use a computer. Despite confiscating innumerable combs and other contraband, David was loved by his students, who were greeted each day at class by his THINK sign at the door and a fresh quote to jot in their journals. Mr. Potter was known for his newspaper project assignment, which tricked unsuspecting 13-year-olds into developing a profound appreciation for a book of their choice. In the words of one student, "If you ever won an Oscar, Mr. Potter would be the teacher you thank in your acceptance speech." Like many teachers, David worked each summer, making wooden bowls at Craftwood Company in Kittery, teaching at the New Hampshire Vocational-Technical Institute in Portsmouth, and painting houses with his friend and fellow teacher Steve Williams and son-in-law Michael Luttrell on the Maine seacoast.
David was an artist, enthusiastically submitting many of his punny cartoons for consideration by the New Yorker, and engaging with famous cartoonists for guidance and advice. David's cartoons appeared on his students' assignments, his daughters' lunch bags, and his homemade stationery.
David was an avid and champion golfer, winning the Cape Neddick (Maine) Country Club Championship in 1999 and 2001. David said he loved golf because it was a psychological game where you had to master the other players, the course, and yourself. Golf gave David a chance to spend quality time with his family and friends, including Steve Williams and his brother-in-law Jim Keane. He was at his best when a chip or a putt needed to be made.
David loved crossword puzzles and Colin Dexter mysteries, and even the notorious puzzle/mystery book Cain's Jawbone, which he worked on solving until the final month of his life. As smart and funny as David was, he always led with humility, patience, and kindness. Even in his final months, he made sure to thank the people who made a difference in his life - his doctors, the professionals at hospice, his family, his friends, and his neighbors.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Tidewell Hospice (www.tidewellhospice.org).
David met Mary when they were born within two days of each other in Webber Hospital in Biddeford, Maine. They spent more than two decades apart until being reintroduced in 1968 at the Saxony in Old Orchard Beach, Maine. David's signature patience paid off, and he and Mary were married a year later. David and Mary spent many happy years visiting Ireland and Scotland, exploring different cities on their road trips between Maine and Florida, and discovering the key ingredients to build a marriage that lasted more than half a century.
David was a graduate of Thornton Academy in Saco, Maine, and Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania. David was a naturally gifted teacher. For most of his forty-plus year career, Mr. Potter taught eighth grade English at Frisbee Middle School and Shapleigh School in Kittery Maine. David was respected by his fellow teachers for his dry wit, calm demeanor, and steadfast refusal ever to use a computer. Despite confiscating innumerable combs and other contraband, David was loved by his students, who were greeted each day at class by his THINK sign at the door and a fresh quote to jot in their journals. Mr. Potter was known for his newspaper project assignment, which tricked unsuspecting 13-year-olds into developing a profound appreciation for a book of their choice. In the words of one student, "If you ever won an Oscar, Mr. Potter would be the teacher you thank in your acceptance speech." Like many teachers, David worked each summer, making wooden bowls at Craftwood Company in Kittery, teaching at the New Hampshire Vocational-Technical Institute in Portsmouth, and painting houses with his friend and fellow teacher Steve Williams and son-in-law Michael Luttrell on the Maine seacoast.
David was an artist, enthusiastically submitting many of his punny cartoons for consideration by the New Yorker, and engaging with famous cartoonists for guidance and advice. David's cartoons appeared on his students' assignments, his daughters' lunch bags, and his homemade stationery.
David was an avid and champion golfer, winning the Cape Neddick (Maine) Country Club Championship in 1999 and 2001. David said he loved golf because it was a psychological game where you had to master the other players, the course, and yourself. Golf gave David a chance to spend quality time with his family and friends, including Steve Williams and his brother-in-law Jim Keane. He was at his best when a chip or a putt needed to be made.
David loved crossword puzzles and Colin Dexter mysteries, and even the notorious puzzle/mystery book Cain's Jawbone, which he worked on solving until the final month of his life. As smart and funny as David was, he always led with humility, patience, and kindness. Even in his final months, he made sure to thank the people who made a difference in his life - his doctors, the professionals at hospice, his family, his friends, and his neighbors.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Tidewell Hospice (www.tidewellhospice.org).
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of David Allan Potter, please visit our flower store.
David Allan Potter's Guestbook
Visits: 284
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the
Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors