Philip POTASH

POTASH, Philip
1931 - 2013
Philip Potash died on June 25, 2013 at the Montreal Jewish General Hospital. His wife Barbara (Nagley) and daughter Kim (Potash) were at his side.
Always of independent mind and comfortable in his skin, Philip was a perfect example of a self-made man. The early years of his marriage saw him leaving home at 5 a.m. and returning well after 5 p.m., working hard to make his fur industry business a success. During this period he not only taught himself the skills required to shear, to clean, to colour every type of fur, but he also created the machinery needed to accomplish these tasks. Eventually this regime caught up with him and he developed tuberculosis which, fifty years on, came back as pulmonary fibrosis.
The intervening fifty years were rewarding ones for Splendor and for the Potash family. Philip and Barbara were able to follow their interests, travelling all over the globe attending festivals of the International Wine and Food Society. Along with his interest in wine, golf and fishing, Philip became well-known for his culinary achievements, such as "Phil's Dills", and for his smoked salmon, produced from the smoker that he built on the deck of the Hampstead home he and Barbara shared for over a half a century.
Barbara and Philip divided their time between Montreal and a cottage in upper New York state (on "Grandpa's Lake"); later a condo on the beach in Long Boat Key, Florida; and most recently a second home in Victoria, not far from where their daughter, Kim, lives with her husband John (Kooyman). It was here Philip began developing his second career – baking bread from scratch and growing vegetables on the rooftop of their condominium. In addition to his food-related pursuits, he was a lover of good music and a strong symphony supporter.
Philip leaves four handsome young grandsons (Galen, Trevor, Spencer and Hayden). Kim, John and "the boys" miss him and, with Barbara, are cherishing all the good times past. He is missed as well by his sister-in- law (Gail Nagley) and her husband (Alan Marcus) and by his best-ever neighbour, Lise, and her family, with whom he shared a special bond. His buddies from the business, social and financial spheres know that their worlds seem a little smaller without him.
Cremation has taken place. Please make any donations to the charity of your choice, remembering Philip Potash who gave generously and anonymously to a variety of causes. He has left the world a better place for his being in it – although he would never acknowledge this himself. RIP.
A gathering with his family will be held at the Kane & Fetterly Funeral Home, 5301 Decarie Blvd., (corner Isabella) on Tuesday, July 2nd, 2013 from 2-5 p.m. Condolences may be received at www.kanefetterly.com