Meredith Whitcher Potthast

Beautiful Meredith, age 33, passed away peacefully at home in Louisville, KY with her family by her side. Meredith loved spending time with her family, and it is fitting so many loved ones surrounded her in her last days. In particular, she leaves behind her beloved husband, Jack Potthast, her high-school sweetheart, and husband of nine years. Meredith and Jack met when they were seventeen years old and quickly recognized each other as soulmates. They married in 2014, once Meredith completed college at High Point University, where she studied Interior Design.

After Jack and Meredith married, they moved to Louisville where Meredith applied her gift for design to commercial and residential projects. It was a career that fit-like-a-glove for Meredith, who also enjoyed staging projects and had a wonderful talent for organizing out of chaos, always in touch with the art and beauty in her surroundings. She had a way of making houses into real homes, filling dull spaces with warmth and order. It was, however, Meredith's luminous personality that truly changed the atmosphere of any surroundings. Meredith was a deeply kind person who was always sensitive to needs and feelings of others.

Born in Monterey, CA into a Navy family, her sweet spirit made her friends wherever she went; friendly generosity an apparent trait extended to anyone who met her. She also developed a love of travel and exploring including a memorable mission trip to Haiti. Meredith took up swimming, surfing, and SCUBA diving in order to explore her life-long fascination with the ocean.

At age 28, Meredith was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. She fought hard for over five years, embracing holistic health and wellness, doing everything she could to stay strong and lead her life to the fullest. Throughout her illness, Meredith grew ever more selfless. By her personal example and activism, Meredith was an influential force in raising awareness of the need for early colon cancer screening. She was among the chorus of voices calling for change, which prevailed in rolling back the age standard nationwide for early colon cancer prevention.

Meredith will be buried in Arlington, VA at a cemetery close to where she and her husband started their lives as a couple.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Colon Cancer Alliance, Washington, DC, Guilda's Club Louisville, KY, or the Colon Cancer Prevention Project, Louisville, KY.