William Patrick "Bill" Potter

1948 - 2025

William Patrick Potter died on August 29, 2025, at his home in Bel Air, Maryland, with his family by his side after a long battle with cancer.
Bill was born on April 29, 1948, in Orange, California, to Robert Andrew Potter and Vera Alice (Kruder) Potter and grew up in Yucca Valley. He had a happy childhood and often reminisced about flying in airplanes with his dad and adventuring with his older brothers Bob and John.
After graduating from Twentynine Palms High School, Bill was drafted in 1968 and served in the Army's 2nd infantry division among a small number of troops sent to Korea. He attained the rank of corporal and was honorably discharged. While short, his military service had an enormous impact on his life. He loved to tell Army stories, especially in his later years.
After the Army, he worked for several years at PepsiCo before learning the family business of real estate. He co-owned and operated a Century 21 office in Yucaipa, California, in the 1980s and '90s and was active in the Board of Realtors, serving as president of the California Board of Realtors in the early 1990s.
After moving to Colorado in the mid-1990s, Bill pivoted to real estate appraisal. He worked for a time in the Montrose County assessor's office, and until his retirement in 2014, he worked as a self-employed residential appraiser, which he described as his dream job.
Bill took immense pride in his work no matter what his job was, and this quality was a hallmark of his professional life. While he didn't attend college, he worked hard to attain the highest certifications available for his profession and pursued professional development throughout his career. His work was guided by his high standard of ethics, honesty and integrity.
Bill was married to Nancy Eden Potter for 17 years, with whom he had two children, Michael and Shannon. His children were his joy and his first priority in life, and his world always revolved around them. He was prouder than ever to become grandpa, and he loved his granddaughter with the same ferocity and dedication.
Bill had many interests, but cars were his lifelong love. He owned and drove many interesting cars throughout his life. He enjoyed contemporary luxury cars, as well as classic cars. He had an impressive catalogue of knowledge about cars and could identify even the most obscure classic cars by sight. He also enjoyed motorcycles in his youth, riding street bikes with his brother John in the '70s and dirt bikes with his son Mike in the '90s. While he loved to drive, he also enjoyed walking. He described himself as an urban hiker and would often walk around town for many miles in quiet contemplation.
Bill loved dogs and had some special pets over the years, including an old puggle named Buster who was his best friend for the last decade of his life. Bill and Buster were inseparable and went everywhere together. Luckily, Buster shared Bill's love of long walks, long drives, hamburgers and blues music, and even as they both slowed down in their later years, they continued to enjoy these things together. Losing Buster in March 2025 after losing his son Mike in 2023 was a combined heartbreak from which Bill would never recover.
Bill was a big man with a big personality. He was hilarious, gregarious and charming, with a charisma that drew people in. He loved to talk and tell stories.
He had an enormous heart and was selflessly generous, giving quietly to causes and people that touched his heart. He was a joker and enjoyed pulling one over on his family and friends. He staunchly believed that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and that there's always room for dessert. He was known for a collection of sayings that his kids call "Bill Potterisms" - some of them wise, some impertinent, some just silly. He was truly one of a kind and will be missed every single day.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers Bob and John, his son Mike, his constant companion Buster, and many close friends. He is survived by his daughter Shannon, son-in-law Tim and granddaughter Leila.
Despite spending many years in Colorado and then in Maryland, Bill was always a Californian at heart. Per his wishes, his ashes will be scattered among the Joshua trees.