|
- |
By KELLY HANNON
Entrepreneur Rick Potter touched the lives of thousands throughout the Fredericksburg community, as a businessman and a citizen.
Many live in houses built by his company, Potter Homes.
Thousands have run down Caroline Street on Thanksgiving morning in the Turkey Trot. Potter Homes has been a major sponsor of the 5-k road race since 1997.
Potter was seemingly everywhere--a deacon at Fredericksburg Baptist Church, a member of Stafford Rotary Club, a crucial volunteer with the local Habitat for Humanity chapter. He served spaghetti to the homeless at his church's weekly dinners.
An outdoorsman, he enjoyed scuba diving, boating, running and flying.
A licensed pilot, Potter used his skills and personal plane last year to join Angel Flight America, a Virginia Beach-based operation that gives free rides to patients in need of distant medical care.
"He was always willing to share that joy for living with people," said the Rev. Larry Haun, senior pastor of Fredericksburg Baptist Church.
Potter, 49, was one of four men who died in a plane crash just outside Stafford Regional Airport late Wednesday night.
Funeral arrangements were incomplete last night. They are being handled by Found & Sons Funeral Home, Fredericksburg.
Potter was a devoted family man, friends and colleagues said in interviews yesterday.
He helped start the Fredericksburg Juniors Volleyball Club when one of his three children showed an interest in the sport.
"He would do everything in the world for any of his kids," said Gordon Gay, a lawyer in Falmouth who knew Potter when he was young and taught Potter to water ski at Lake of the Woods. "If they were running, he'd sponsor the race. If they were water skiing, he'd buy the boat. Whatever it took to support his kids, he'd do."
Potter lived in the Lee's Hill subdivision in Spotsylvania. He is survived by his wife, a daughter at the University of Virginia, and a high-school age son and daughter who attend Spotsylvania schools.
Potter, a graduate of Wake Forest University, was returning from a basketball game at his alma mater Wednesday night when the plane crashed. Potter was piloting the plane, which was his own.
His death shocked Angel Flight vice president Steve Patterson. "When you lose someone like Rick, it's like losing a member of your family," Patterson said.
Potter joined Angel Flight in May 2005. He had an instrument rating as a pilot, meaning he could operate his plane in zero visibility conditions. He also had 300 hours of flight experience when he joined, more than the required 250 hours to volunteer at Angel Flight, Patterson said.
Angel Flight has 1,300 volunteer pilots in the mid-Atlantic region. The average number of missions flown per pilot is 1.8 a year.
Potter flew at least one mission a month.
"He's been what we call a go-to guy," Patterson said. "When we have a mission that's difficult to staff, he wanted to be one of the first ones you called."
Potter was repeatedly recognized as a leader in the regional construction and development community.
Potter Homes won the Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2004. The year before, the Fredericksburg Area Builders Association named Potter Homes Builder of the Year, and gave Potter the Community Service Award.
"I think [Potter Homes] really reached out to become one of the custom builders in the area," said Craig Jones, partner at local developer Tricord Inc. "When the Fredericksburg marketplace was really entry-level housing, they really stepped up their product and catered to the upscale customer and added a lot of quality features to their homes."
Perhaps the most significant home Potter helped build is a modest two-story structure in downtown Fredericksburg.
Potter galvanized his company's workers and subcontractors to complete the Habitat for Humanity project, which had been languishing from a lack of volunteers, said Carl Wiberg, vice president with Greater Fredericksburg Habitat for Humanity.
Potter coordinated efforts to install new drywall, plumbing and electrical wiring into the Amelia Street dwelling.
"It was his effort that got us to where we could complete the house and move the family in," Wiberg said.
"We owe him a lot," he added. "Matter of fact, the whole community owes him a lot."
To reach KELLY HANNON:
Email: khannon@freelancestar.com
