Jerry "Appa" Potter

Jerry Potter, was born as Norton Burbage Potter on September 24, 1946 in Oklahoma. If you’re wondering how he got that crazy name. His dad, Joe, arrived at the hospital with his two best friends, Norton and Burbage. Of course back then, fathers weren’t allowed in the delivery room. So in the waiting room while filling out the birth certificate, the nurse asked Joe what the baby’s name would be. Apparently he was so drunk, he just combined his two friends’ names, Norton and Burbage. His mom was furious when she found out, so she decided to call him Jerry. It is widely believed this was likely the main reason his mom Helen divorced Jerry’s dad. Now we’re not 100% accurate about all this, but we always teased Jerry about the history of his name.

Not too long after Jerry was born. Helen, being the strong single woman she was, moved her two sons, Joe and Jerry to Kansas. Jerry’s early childhood was spent with his brother Joe. Like all big brothers, Joe would torment Jerry constantly. But you better believe that, if anyone messed with Jerry, Joe would beat them to a pulp. Only Joe was allowed to beat on Jerry. But that was only until Jerry got as tall as Joe. The last time they got into it, Jerry threw him down the stairs, and Joe learned the hard way that he couldn’t mess with his little brother anymore.

After high school, Jerry enlisted in the Army reserves. But before he could enlist, he needed his birth certificate. His mom sent him to the attic to get it. He found his moms birth certificate and his brother Joe’s. While not finding his own, he did find another birth certificate with the name Norton Burbage Potter. He took the birth certificate in question to his mom and asked her who Norton was? Helen said she was dreading this day, and told him that he was Norton. Helen told him the whole story about everything that had happened the day he was born.

Jerry held many different jobs from stretching metal at Alcoa in Kansas, a hydraulic mechanic at Cessna to interviewing for 3 hours to be a clerk at 7-11. He was even a furniture salesman and a repo man.

From there he and his best friend, Geoff Yeo headed off to the West Coast. After a while in California, Geoff’s parents helped Jerry get a job at Farmers & Merchants Bank. Jerry somehow convinced someone at the bank that a Repo Man is somehow similar to a Finance Manager. This is where Jerry met his wife Connie.

In 1979, Jerry started working at McDonnell Douglas as a Wing & Fuselage engineer. After that he went to work for Rockwell as a Shuttle Technician. He finished his career at Boeing as a Satellite Technician in 2005

Beyond all jobs and skills he had, there was one pastime that he always loved, that started back in Kansas. That was his love for golf. He LOVED to play golf. He played in several leagues and played in many tournaments and brought home several trophies.

But the one thing that was the most important to him was his family and friends. He had lifelong friendships. And generations of children that he was devoted to. He is survived by his wife Connie, his two sons David and Stephen, his daughter Marie, his grandchildren Gilbert, Stevie, Eleanor, Kobe, Adrina, Zoey and his great grandson Mateo. And his daughters and son in law, Allison, Julia, Peter and Pamela.