Name: Visitation for William Granville "Bill" Potter
Start: 2018-04-06T20:00:00.000Z
End: 2018-04-07T00:00:00.000Z
Location: Smith Family Funeral Homes - St. Louis Chapel

William Granville "Bill" Potter

Lansing - William Granville "Bill" Potter, age 86, of Lansing, MI passed away Tuesday, April 3, 2018, at his home in Lansing where he lived for the past 25 years.

Funeral Services will be held at Smith Family Funeral Homes, St. Louis, MI, on Saturday, April 7, 2018 at 11:00 A.M. Burial will take place at Oak Grove Cemetery, St. Louis, MI. Visitation will be held on Friday, April 6, 2018 from 4-8 P.M. and on Saturday, April 7, 2018 from 10 A.M. until the service at the funeral home.

William was born in Middletown, OH on January 18, 1932 to James W. and Mildred E. (Dumford) Potter. He graduated from Hamilton Catholic High School in 1950 and then from the University of Dayton in 1955.

Bill started his career in personnel with R. L. Polk in Cincinnati and was Personnel Manager at the home office in Detroit until 1965. Bill and his family lived in St. Louis, MI for thirty plus years and he was employed as Personnel Director for Alma Products in Alma, MI for nineteen years and also served on the St. Louis School Board for sixteen years. He was Personnel Director for the Olofsson Corporation in Lansing and retired after sixteen years of service.

Bill was active in statewide education matters, serving as Chair of the Michigan Career Education Commission and was President of the Alma Jaycees. He was also President of the National Council of Catholic Youth and a member of the US Naval Reserve.

Bill is survived by his wife Wynne Noble Potter; seven children: son James (Karen Wyson) of Concord, NH; daughter Christine (Rick) Potter-Wroblewski of Cincinnati, OH; son Edward (Ann Clancy) of Arlington, VA; son Frank (Brenda Brown) of Palmyra, PA; son Thomas (Jennifer Wolski) of Cincinnati, OH; son Michael (Tracy Williams) of Pigeon, MI; and son Theodore of Florence, KY; fourteen grandchildren; stepdaughters: Jill Tesman of Frankenmuth, MI; and Hannah Tesman (Sarah Gilden) of Montgomery Village, MD. He is also survived by exchange student-daughter Marjolein Crins of The Netherlands and former wife and mother of his children Barbara (Syroney) Potter. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister Marilyn (Eugene) Wagner of Cincinnati, OH.

Memorials in Bill's honor may be made to Greater Lansing Food Bank, 2116 Mint Road, Lansing, MI 48906 or Theodore A. Cutler Public Library, 312 Michigan Ave., St. Louis, MI 48880. Online condolences can be sent to www.smithfamilyfuneralhomes.com. The family is being served by Smith Family Funeral Homes, St. Louis, MI.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Lansing State Journal on Apr. 5, 2018.

Memories and Condolences
for William Potter

Sponsored by Smith Family Funeral Homes - St. Louis Chapel.

10 Entries

Lee Colquitt

April 10, 2018

Bill was a good friend. I met Bill after we had both retired and were employed as part time drivers with Enterprise Rent a Car. We and many other retired people looking for something to do with our time moved cars around the state and beyond to wherever they were needed by the company and had a lot of fun doing it. Bill was good company to all of us and enjoyed jokes and pranks as much as the rest. He was intelligent and fun to be around. We all loved Bill. See you later, Bill!

Leonard Johnson

April 8, 2018

Bill was a great friend and fellow Jaycee as he and both served as President of the Alma Jaycees and lived a block apart in St.Louis.He was very involved in many community projects and Church May You rest in peace.

Barb Ruga

April 6, 2018

I will miss Bill's friendly smile and tales about his career in HR, and will always fondly remember how he made our adopted grandson Joey, laugh out loud.

He dearly loved Wynne, their shared children and grandchildren, and trips abroad. He had a full life, lived well. We will think of him and his sometimes wicked sense of humor, and how kind and friendly he was to everyone he met.

Our thoughts and wishes for fond memories to ease the loss are sent to Wynne, Jill, Hannah and the Potter clan.

Brian Frank

April 6, 2018

RIP

Michael Case

April 6, 2018

Sorry to hear of Bill passing he was a great person and helped me a lot at alma products

Karen Towersey-Whittaker

April 5, 2018

Sending prayers to the family.

Kate Kent

April 5, 2018

A kinder, friendlier, more effusive man than Bill would be hard to find. I always loved running into him at various venues and especially appreciated his willingness to give us a bar of a song (at the drop of a hat!) My kind of people! Sincere sympathy to Wynne, his happy soul mate and ever-present sidekick. Please God, the memories of the many laughs and adventures you shared over the years will help to sustain you, following this sad loss. Sympathy to all.

Gary Noble

April 5, 2018

RIP Bill, you were a fun brother-in-law to play golf with, share jokes, & sip a drink with. I'll remember you everytime I see someone drinking a Guiness Beer. Thanks for the fond memories, your friendship, & for making my sister happy!

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