Luken William Potts

1939 - 2019

Luken William Potts died in his sleep on Nov. 10, 2019. His kindness, love, acceptance, appreciation, generosity, humor, intelligence, and sense of adventure will be sorely missed. He was 80.

He was born on March 3, 1939 in Philadelphia, Pa., and was the son of the late Charles William Potts and Alcine Scott Potts.

Luken was a graduate of William Penn Charter in Philadelphia, class of 1957. He then went on to Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pa.

Luken worked over 40 years for the VIZ Manufacturing Company in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. He worked on meteorological instruments (especially radiosondes) and sophisticated components such as an early air bag switch. Testing this equipment took him across the globe to Africa, Europe, Indonesia, Mexico, and Barbados. His innovative work also led to four patents. He remained at VIZ until it was acquired by an out of state company in 1993 and consulted for that company for a few years thereafter.

Luken enjoyed canoeing, kayaking, and the new sport of canoe poling, going on to win the National Canoe Poling Championship in the early 1980s. He was a long-time member of the Philadelphia Canoe Club, an affiliate of the American Canoe Association, which led to the discovery of the much beloved Sugar Island in the Thousand Islands region on the border of New York and Canada. Annual pilgrimages to camp on Sugar Island became a family necessity for decades and his family continues with that tradition.

Luken also loved spending time with his family, gardening, reading, visiting garage sales, savoring all kinds of food, and enjoying the family 'ranch' in Dunnellon, Fla.

Luken is survived by his wife Dawn, brother Daniel, double-cousin Alcine, five children (David, Marni, Joseph, Andrew, and Sarah) and their mother Merle, four step-children (Laurie, Susan, Peter, and Nancy), six sons and daughters in law, nine grandchildren, ten step-grandchildren, two nieces, a nephew, and many great grandchildren and cousins. His eldest son Thomas preceded him in death in 1999.

Luken was an active member of the Lord's New Church in Bryn Athyn and his memorial service will be on Saturday, November 16 at 4 p.m. in the chapel of the church (1725 Huntingdon Road, Huntingdon Valley, Pa.) with a reception in the Church Hall immediately following. His remains will be interred in the church's beautiful cemetery along the banks of Pennypack Creek off Cathedral Road in Bryn Athyn.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to the American Canoe Association at www.americancanoe.org/donations or the Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust at www.pennypacktrust.org/support/donate/donate-make-a-gift.