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Wednesday, October 14, 2015

NWA Capt. Neil E. Potts

additional story item:  

Neil Potts, Pilot and family man 41-year NWA pilot was steady presence in the air, at home

Neil Potts' family keeps memories of their father and husband tucked inside a jar. In the little stories, typed on strips of colored paper, lives the calm, patient man and pilot who adored his wife of 70 years and instilled the values of hard work and responsibility in his three children.

Potts revisited those memories before he died of emphysema on Oct. 6, at home in the presence of his family. He was 93. His daughter Carol Werket, of Hastings, now holds onto the jar of memories.

Potts, born in Illinois to two teachers, was a pilot who kept his family grounded. He flew for Northwest Airlines for 41 years and during World War II worked as a training pilot in the U.S. Navy Air Corps.

During cadet training, he met his wife-to-be, Lorraine. He had first met her in high school; when they met again in 1942, Potts wrote her a letter that said he was going to marry her.

They moved to Richfield from Boston in 1949. While flying for Northwest, Potts flew pregnant cows to Thailand, his wife said. He also worked as director of 747 training.

Potts' passion for flying extended to his personal life. He, his wife and children traveled around the world together, making yearly trips to Europe. He later took his grandchildren on trips, as well.

In 1982, at age 60, Potts was required to retire from Northwest, but he did not want to stop flying. So he and other pilots sued the airline and won. He went back to work until 1990 as a second officer.

Even his second retirement did not stop him from spending time at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Along with his wife, he volunteered for Travelers Assistance for 25 years until he was 91.

When Potts and his wife moved from Richfield to their house on Valley View Road in Eden Prairie, they created decorative gardens in their front yard. Passersby would stop to compliment them.

Werket said her parents had a relationship to look up to. "I don't think I've met two people who got along as well as they did," she said.

Potts' life did not come without turbulence. His son, Randy, now of Eden Prairie, was disabled in a car accident. He spent 15 days in a coma with his dad by his side telling him that he was going to be OK.

"You felt so good in his presence," Lorraine Potts said. "You always felt like everything would be taken care of."

She said before her husband died, he thanked her for their life together. "We've had a wonderful life of 70 years," he said.

A celebration of life will be held at 3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, at the Cremation Society of Minnesota, 7110 France Av. S., Edina, with visitation at 2 p.m. In addition to his wife, his son, Randy, and his daughter Carol, he is survived by another daughter, Becky Potts of Boxford, Mass., two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Beatrice Dupuy • 612-673-1707
Star Tribune: Newspaper of the Twin Cities (Minneapolis, MN) - Wednesday, October 21, 2015

CITE THIS RECORD   "Star Tribune: Newspaper of the Twin Cities",

======================================== 
~ IN MEMORY ~
WWII veteran, NWA Capt. Neil E. Potts
September 19, 1922 - October 6, 2015

Word has been received with the passing of RNPA member retired Northwest pilot Captain Neil Edwin Potts, age 93.  Captain Potts joined Northwest Airlines 06-27-1949.  He is survived by his wife Lorraine.  Captain and Mrs Potts had most recently resided in Eden Prairie and Minneapolis, Minnesota.
To view the online obituary please visit http://cremationsocietyofmn.com/obituaries/neil-potts/    Perhaps the best contact for personal condolences and to share your memories with the family would be in c/o daughter Becky at  bpotts@carhartt.com 
Becky writes that a Celebration of Life service will be held at 3:00 pm on Thursday, October 22nd at the Cremation Society of Minnesota located in Edina MN with visitation one hour prior to start of service.  
Military honors will be conducted on Friday, October 23rd, Ft. Snelling National Cemetery ....please see obituary below for information.
            Thank you,
                ~ Carol for the PCN 


From: Becky Potts    Sent: Tuesday, October 13, 2015 8:18 PM   Subject: Obituary for Neil Potts


Hello PCN Flew West, 
It’s with great sadness that I send you an obituary for my father, Neil Potts, former Captain and Director of 747 Training for NWA. He was truly a great man and respected and admired by his co-workers and friends. We invite you to attend his services and share your stories!
 Thank you,
Becky Potts
PO Box 186 , West Boxford, MA 01885  ...  (978) 994-1469 cell   ... (313) 253-1256 fax  ...  bpotts@carhartt.com   Carhartt Cust. Svc./800-358-3825

 Obituary.................................
Neil Potts, 93, died at home with his family on October 6, 2015. Born in 1922 in Patoka, IL, he was a semi-perfect child, (maybe a tipped outhouse here or there) and high school basketball star who later enlisted in the Naval Air Corp. Through friends, he met his dreamboat, Lorraine in Chicago and after the first date vowed he would marry her. After he was awarded his naval aviator wings, he asked her and she accepted! They had a wonderful, loving and adventurous 70 years together!
Neil loved his 41 years of flying with NWA as a highly respected Captain and Director of 747 Training. For 25 years post-retirement, you could find him at his Travelers Assistance desk at MSP on Thursdays and Saturdays helping lost souls in the airport. He retired from that position at 91!
Neil was a quiet, strong, loving man who commanded attention when he spoke….albeit, which wasn’t often! He loved the kids, grandkids & greats, the garden, fishing, traveling, sweets and vacuuming.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Homer and Eva Potts and brother Dick Potts. Neil is survived by his beautiful wife, Lorraine; their three children: Randy Potts of Eden Prairie, Becky (Glendon Ayer) Potts of Boxford, MA and Carol (Jim) Werket of Hastings, MN; sister-in-Law, Winnie Potts of Effingham, IL; grandkids, Neil (Rebecca) Werket and daughter Zoe, all of Cherry Hill, NJ and Eric (McKinze) Werket and sons Carter & Mason, all of Eagan, MN.
A Celebration of Life will take place on Thursday, October 22 at the Cremation Society of Minnesota, 7110 France Ave. S., Edina. Visitation 2:00pm and memorial Service 3:00pm. On Friday, October 23rd, you are invited to honor Neil’s service in WW2 with Military Honor Guard Ceremony and flag presentation, followed by interment at Fort Snelling National Cemetery. Ceremony begins promptly at 12:30pm, assembly area number 3.

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