NEW SMYRNA BEACH, FL—James Harrel Potts, New Smyrna Beach, FL passed peacefully from this life to the next on Thursday, June 8, 2023. James (Jim) was born in Irvine, Kentucky on June 24, 1932 to Harrel K. and Mary Lynda Potts. The family relocated to Pensacola, Florida in 1940 with the L &N Railroad. Jim was a member of the Class of 1950 of Pensacola High, and a graduate of Pensacola Junior College. He played basketball for both PHS and PJC. Following a tour of duty in Korea, where he served in US Army Intelligence, he continued his studies at The University of Alabama, where he earned undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees in the fields of commerce and business administration. Jim was also a CPA. He served on the cadre faculty of The University of West Florida, teaching in, and later chairing, the Department of Accounting and Finance. In 1978, he accepted a position at East Tennessee State University, where he served as both professor and Associate Dean of the College of Business and Technology. Jim loved academic life, and felt he found his true calling through teaching.

He married Patricia Burgess (Pat) on January 14, 1956. They spent the next 63 years in loving partnership. Together, they raised four children. Jim was an excellent golfer, and was Club Champion and a member of The Hole in One Club. He was a loyal and avid fan of The Crimson Tide and the New Orleans Saints. Jim was a member of the Christian (Disciples of Christ) Church, and served his congregations as Treasurer and Board Member.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers Jerome Clay Potts and Robert Howard Potts, his sisters Frances Wilson and Mary Kelly Vice, his wife Patricia, his grandson, James Riddle (Vanessa), and his daughter in law, Trish Potts. He is survived by his four children: Hal, Johanna (Greg), Melissa (Tim), and Jay; six grandchildren Andrew (Kendra), Wesley (Nikki), Matt, Anya, Bridgette (Channing), and Kellye; four great grandchildren: Vivian, Gianna, Luke, and Everlee, and beloved nieces and nephews.

The family wishes to acknowledge Jim's home helpers: Sherry Miller, Deborah Comrie, and Darquita Austell, for the peace, dignity, and comfort they contributed to his final years, as well as loving neighbors and friends who took the time to visit, bring food, and affirm that Jim was loved and valued by those around him.

A private family service in planned, with interment at Roberts Cemetery in Pensacola, Florida. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to the First Christian Church of Pensacola, 6031 Goodrich Drive, Pensacola, Florida 32504.