James John "Jim" Potter, 83, a longtime professor in the College of Architecture, died Feb. 6, following a six-year battle with cancer.
Potter was born Oct. 23, 1942, in Santa Barbara, California. After graduating from Santa Barbara High School, he earned degrees from California State Polytechnic University, the State University of New York at Buffalo and a doctorate from Pennsylvania State University. He taught in Boston, at Buffalo, Penn State and Texas A&M before joining the University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Architecture in 1981 until his retirement in August 2010.
He taught studios that focus on human behavior, community and environmental needs, as well as seminars on environment-behavior studies, housing and quality of life.
Potter taught for a year each in Nigeria on a Fulbright fellowship and in Turkey. He was also a visiting scholar at schools of architecture in the U.S. and institutions in Brazil, China, Ireland, Germany, Russia, Taiwan and Malaysia (2010-2012). Potter's greatest satisfaction in his academic career was in teaching and mentoring students as well as young faculty members.
Traveling, family and friends were the greatest joys of his life. Potter and his wife, Deb, were able to travel the world and loved to share trips with family and friends. Most special were the "grandchildren trips" allowing individual opportunities to know each grandchild better.
Potter and his wife sang with a gospel choir and other choirs at First United Methodist Church, the UNL Collegiate Chorus, and the Abendmusik Choir and Te Deum Choir at First-Plymouth Church.
Potter's spiritual pursuits led him to join the Benedictine Oblates and to lead a Centering Prayer group for many years, among other activities. After earning his spiritual director certification from Creighton University, he was one of the original members of the Lincoln Spiritual Directors group. Potter was a tutor at Lincoln Literacy and a loyal member of two men's groups for more than 40 years.
Family members include his loving wife of 36 years, Deb (Debra L.) Miller; son Jay (Meegan) Potter; daughter Lisa (Kurt) Bellefeuille; grandchildren Justine Bellefeuille (Ron Batdorf); Meagan (Luke) Cunningham; Trevor (Mari) Bellefeuille; Cierra Potter (fiancé Marcos Rodriguez) and Caiden Potter; great-grandchildren Oakley, Lincoln and Landon Cunningham and Elena Bellefeuille; brothers-in-law Lee Meyer and Steven (Lori) Miller and sister-in-law Sandra (David) Hanson; the mother of his children, Teddi Lenard; as well as numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Dorothy and John Potter, and sister Linda Meyer.
A celebration of life will be held at 10:30 a.m. April 18 at First Plymouth Church, 20th and D Streets in Lincoln followed by a lunch reception.
