Dennis E. Potter

WINDHAM – Dennis E. Potter passed away peacefully at his home on April 18, 2020, at the age of 75, surrounded by his loving family.His will to live was strong and he fought a long brave battle against congestive heart failure, COPD and diabetes. Dennis was born on March 26, 1945 in Topsham. The family moved to Windham in 1947 where Dennis grew up and attended schools. In 1962 he married the love of his life Kathy in a double wedding ceremony with his brother Willis and Kathy’s sister Julie. They resided in homes next door to one another each going on to have five children.Their older brother Elden eventually joined them with his wife Louise and they too had five children. His sister, Lucy also lived in the family neighborhood for many years with her two children. The only sibling that didn’t was his sister, Dorine. Her and her husband Albert, along with their children, moved to Florida early on. With Walter and Eva being the first in the neighborhood, this place became what is known today in Windham as Potterville. In his younger year’s he worked for M.L. Rogers and eventually started his own excavation business, D.E. Potter and Sons Excavating. After an early age of retirement, he focused on the things he loved, family, his garage, dickering, bartering, always buying and selling. He loved meeting people from all walks of life. He hunted, farmed, gardened and fished. The last few years he spent many hours playing cribbage. He made his own cribbage boards and gave many away and you never knew who the next recipient was going to be. He excelled at nearly everything he did. Tractors and sawmills were two of his passions. He loved buying and fixing up old tractors to re-sell (or so he would say) the collection that remains is proof that they were not all for selling. He could draw a sketch on a napkin and build a house from it. He designed and built his own Alaskan sawmill, the lumber for the last house he built in Buxton was sawed by him log after log. He also sawed the lumber, built his own casket (however left some tasks for his children to do of course) and chiseled his gravestone in a big granite rock. We are not sure how we are getting that to the cemetery but he knows we will figure it out. Our Dad lived loved and appreciated a simple life. He was kind and generous. His life was not complicated. Having family and friends over for dinner and then sitting around talking and playing cribbage were some of his most enjoyed times. He also loved spending time at his camp in Athens, aka Potterville North, and made many friends and memories there. Dennis was the loving father of Denise Pulcifur and her husband Christian, Dale Potter, Darlene Potter Fearon, Debbie Potter, David Potter and his wife Allison. He was the proud grandfather of Brandon, Brittany, Megan, Dylan, Robert and Drew; great-grandfather of Travis, Cairo, Avery, Braydon, Connor and Sophie. He is also survived by his two sisters, Lucy Richards and Dorine Strout; as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins.He was preceded in death by his wife, Katherine Nanos Potter; his companion, Christine Watson; parents, Walter and Eva Potter; and brothers, Willis and Elden Potter.Dad is a legend, not in his mind…well maybe, but definitely in the minds of all who love him.A celebration of life will be held at a later date when the COVID crisis is over. Arrangements are in the care of the Windham Chapel of Dolby Blais and Segee, 434 River Rd., Windham, ME 04062. To express condolences or participate in Dennis’s online tribute, please visit www.DolbyBlaisSegee.com.


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