Lois ‘Darlene’ PotterTEMPERANCE, Mich. – Lois “Darlene” Potter, 87, of Sylvania, Ohio, died Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020, at 7 p.m. in Ebeid Residence Hospice surrounded by loved ones.
Born on July 18, 1932, in Sault Sainte Marie, Mich., she was the daughter of Wilbur and Eva Barkley.
Darlene moved to Harbor Springs, Mich., with her family where she grew up with seven siblings. She attended Harbor Springs High School. As a young woman working as a candy striper, doing volunteer work at a young age, her interactions with patients were recognized by hospital management and she was given a scholarship to pursue a career in the medical industry. During her young adult life, she met, fell in love with and married Lex A. Potter. They raised six children together.
Her loving, nurturing and positive attitude enabled her to live a life of service. She used her skills as a licensed practical nurse at Flower Hospital in the emergency room for 14 years before moving to Warsaw, where she continued using her nursing talents to serve various retirement communities. In 1995, she worked as an industrial nurse at Dalton Foundry, where her ER skills and experience enabled her to tend to the immediate needs of injured workers from an industrial explosion. She was instrumental in establishing a triage area to care for the critically injured, while (additionally) caring for her terminally-ill husband during that same time period. She continued loving and caring for others even at the end of her life by spreading cheer and hope at the Charter Senior Living Residence in Sylvania with her friends, neighbors and staff.
Darlene is survived by siblings Kenneth (Arbutis) Barkley, Jeanne (John) Harrison and Arthur Rosebohm; children Wilbur Potter (Karen Hywood), Lex (Terri) Potter, Susan (David) Ferguson, David (Lisa) Potter, Steven (Chalon) Potter; 21 grandchildren; and 21 great-grandchildren with two on the way.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Lex A. Potter; son, John Potter; brothers, Donald Barkley and Richard Barkley; and a sister, Billy Stoneburner. Her compassion and love for others will be sorely missed in our family and community.
Visitation will be held Friday, Jan. 10 from 2 to 4 p.m., at the Michael W. Pawlak Funeral Home, 1640 Smith Road (at Jackman) Temperance, Mich., where funeral services will follow at 4 p.m. Interment will be held Saturday, Jan. 11 at New Palestine Cemetery, 5055 S. CR 500W, New Palestine.
