William E. Potts

William Edgeworth Potts (Bill), 77, of Comstock Park, passed away peacefully and in the presence of his family on May 20, 2024. His body has been donated to the University of Michigan.

Born in Grand Rapids and raised in Athens, MI, Bill graduated from Athens High School in 1965. He then attended Olivet College (now University of Olivet) on a partial football scholarship, where he studied Music and was a member of the Kappa Sigma Alpha fraternity. At Olivet, Bill met Noralee Carrier of Jackson, MI, and the two married a few months after he graduated in 1969. They later moved to Grand Rapids, where they remained and raised four sons.

Beginning with a brief stint as a realtor in the late 1970s, Bill enjoyed a variety of sales-related jobs, in fields such as life insurance and direct mail advertising, eventually starting his own business – Safe Retirement Funding – which focused on financial planning for the elderly.

One of Bill’s early forays into music was as a drummer in a college rock band, ‘The Sunn System.’ He also sang first tenor in his college barbershop quartet, The Tevilo Four, but his musical passion was exemplified most prominently by a powerful and well-honed tenor voice, which he used all his life, bringing joy to family, friends, and complete strangers. In addition to various solo recitals, Bill sang with the Chamber Choir of Grand Rapids, the Opera Grand Rapids chorus, the Choral Connection, the vocal quartet ‘Nobistri,’ and ‘The Pottsmen Trio.’ Over the years he sang in choirs at Fountain Street, East Congregational, Trinity United Methodist, and Mayflower Congregational churches. On two memorable occasions during the 1980s, Bill was invited to sing at Tiger Stadium, where his acapella renditions of the Star-Spangled Banner elicited standing ovations and thunderous applause.

He is survived by his wife of nearly 55 years, Noralee; sons, Brandon (Robyn), Nathan (Megan), Adrian, and Ryan (Jamie) Potts; grandchildren, Donovan, Elliott, Adrian, Micah, Oliver, Chloë, and Emma; sister, MaryMartha Melendy, brother- and sister-in-law, Philip and Carol Carrier, brother-in-law, Ralph Scott Carrier; four nieces, and one nephew. He was predeceased by his parents, the Rev. William E. Potts and Dorothy (Bovee) Potts, and brothers-in-law Nathan Carrier and Larry Melendy.

A memorial service is being planned for 10:00 a.m. June 22, 2024 at Mayflower Congregational Church, 2345 Robinson Rd. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital or the music department at Mayflower Congregational Church.

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