Dorothy Wood Potter

Dorothy Wood Potter, age 99, died in the very early morning hours of August 10th in the Centerpointe Care Center at Lakeview Village in Lenexa. Centerpointe had been Dorothy’s home since a debilitating fall in the autumn of 2019. Before that, Southridge independent living at Lakeview, where she had made many good friends, was Dorothy’s home since 2005. Dorothy had served on a resident’s council at Southridge.

Dorothy was born on October 18, 1924 to Hattie Louise Bihr Wood and Mitchell Duncan Wood at her maternal grandmother’s home in Columbia, Missouri. She graduated from Paseo High School in 1941. After graduation from Christian College in Columbia, Missouri, she worked as the youth director at Community Christian Church on the Plaza, her home church. Before she married, Dorothy was chosen to help open the first Russell Stover retail store in Washington, D.C. in 1947.

Dorothy married Charles Joseph Potter in 1948. While raising a family, Dorothy volunteered at the Minute Circle Friendly House of Kansas City, and worked at various times as a sales associate for Halls on the Plaza, sold Highlights magazine subscriptions, and was a personal assistant to Kansas City interior decorator, Peggy Sloan. Dorothy also served as a Cub Scout den mother and as a Girl Scout leader.

As their family grew, Dorothy and Joe transferred their church membership to the Unity Church on the Plaza. Many happy family memories were formed at Unity on the Plaza, as well as at Unity Village in Lee’s Summit. She maintained a life-long devotion to Unity and was a member of Unity of Overland Park. Even with the cognitive decline in her last years, she could still recite from memory James Dillet Freeman’s Prayer for Protection. Because of her long running subscription to Unity’s Daily Word, she was designated a perpetual subscriber.

Dorothy and Joe had a full and rich life together with family and many friends. She was known for her extraordinary gifts of hospitality, not only in Kansas City, their life-long home, but also in their vacation homes in Naples, Florida and Estes Park, Colorado. For several years in the 1990s, Dorothy served as the secretary of the Summer Residents Association in Estes Park.

Joe and Dorothy enjoyed sharing their Kansas City Royals’ season tickets with family and friends. Until declining health at age 95 prevented her from attending, she loved her season tickets to the Kansas City Symphony where the beauty of the music frequently brought tears to her eyes.

Surviving Dorothy is her sister, Virginia Haskin of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and four children: Joe Potter (Sarah Donohoe), Shawnee; Beth Carlson, Dunedin, Florida; Judy Henderson, Lehigh Acres, Florida; and Dr. Pam Truman (Gil), Overland Park. Dorothy’s legacy expands to ten grandchildren, thirteen great-grandchildren plus one well on the way, as well as many cousins, nieces and nephews. The most important part of Dorothy’s life was her family. All remember her as an important glue that kept everyone connected.

The family wishes to thank the devoted staff at Lakeview Village and at Elara Hospice Care for the loving and excellent care Dorothy received. Those who wish to honor Dorothy’s memory may donate to Lakeview Village in Lenexa or Elara Caring Hospice Foundation or to the Daily Word through Unity. Private family graveside service.