Mrs. Paulette Potter, 76, of Woodbury, Tennessee passed away on Friday, April 25, 2025. She was born at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Woodbury, Tennessee on Wednesday, October 13, 1948. Preceding her in death were her parents, Thomas E. "Rick" Merritt and Magalene Bly Merritt; husband, Harold Potter; daughter, Darla Potter; sister, Debra Taylor; daughter-in-law, Diane Potter; and grandson, Michael Lynn Stone.
She is survived by her son, Junior Potter of Georgia; sister, Janice Graham of Woodbury; grandsons; Dewayne Stone, Allen Stone, and Dustin Mooneyham; special sister-in-law; Evelyn (Slim) Phillips of Crossville; brother-in-law, Fred Taylor of Missouri; great grandchildren, Damian Stone, Kaden Stone, Corbin Stone, and Adaline Stone; close friends, Sharon Simmons, Joan Jordan, and Betty Rogers; nephews, Josh Taylor, Jonathan Taylor, and Damian Graham; and nieces; Dana Graham and Devona Graham.
Born into a time of economic prosperity but also civil unrest, Paulette quickly grew into her shoes and her heart. She was not one to stand by idly and watch the world go by, so she grabbed the bull by the horns and took control of her future while being sure to consult with God along the way.
Being a teenager in the 60's worked out well for Paulette. She found the culture and entertainment to her taste, especially the music. When she had some free time after school, she enjoyed watching Dick Clark's American Bandstand. Some of her favorite singers were Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, The Beatles, and all things Motown. Those became the anthems of her childhood and kept her grooving along her path.
While still in high school, she met her future husband, Harold Potter. At that time, he worked at Colonial Shirt Factory, so the two began their courtship, seeing one another on their lunch breaks. It didn't take long for them to realize they had found the one whom their souls loved. Paulette graduated with the Class of 1966 from Woodbury Central High School, and she and Harold tied the knot about a month after on June 12th.
Having a heart for healthcare, Paulette decided to take a CNA class in McMinnville. She began working at the Woodbury Nursing Center and became a familiar face and friendly smile to many of the residents. During her time there, she and Harold came across and bought their home on Lehman Street in 1972, and that would be their forever home.
When Junior and Darla came into their lives, everything changed for Harold and Paulette. They were smitten with their bundles of joy, and Paulette decided to change her employment to Stones River Hospital, working in the Physical Therapy Department. As the kids grew older, she swapped again going to work for Superior Home Health, and finally, the retired from the Nursing Department at Stones River Manor after 15 years.
Through all of the work, Harold and Paulette made sure to make time for each other and their kids. During their 51 years of marriage, they didn't stop dating one another. They didn't forget their roots in the 60s and enjoyed listening to the music. Both Elvis fans, they made the trek to Graceland twice together. They enjoyed the simple pleasures in life, like taking the kids fishing when they were young. Paulette was also fond of reading biographies and true crime novels, cooking, and flower gardening. She had tried her hand at vegetable gardening but never could get the varmints to stay out.
Outside of her family and hobbies, Paulette had a close-knit group of friends through the Cannon County Senior Center. She along with Sharon Simmons, Joan Jordan, and Betty Rogers enjoyed many laughs and good times together. They were constant companions and by her side through the good times and the bad. From losing Darla and then Harold to getting a cancer diagnosis, her friends were just as true to her as her family.
There was a lot of living done over her 76 years and also a lot of praying. Harold and Paulette were faithful members of the Dillon Street Baptist Church for over 25 years. There, Paulette sung in the choir until she received her cancer diagnosis and had to begin chemo treatments. While Dillon Street was under construction, Paulette attended at Sunny Slope Baptist Church, but only had the opportunity to attend a few times before her health declined.
If her house could speak, it would tell you of the love shared, the memories made, and the faith grown. Though just a building, it was the house where Harold and Paulette went through all of their major and minor life changes. It was the house where they raised their children. It was the house where they welcomed their grandchildren and great grandchildren. It was the house where they grieved the loss of their daughter. It was the house Paulette grieved the loss of her husband. It was the house where she dealt with her greatest joys and hardest defeats. It was home.
Though Paulette is now absent from this life, she knew her Savior and that her absence would mean presence with the Lord. The pot was made all the sweeter knowing she would also be reunited with her parents, her husband, her daughter, her grandson, and all the others who had gone on before her. She finally left her house on Lehman Street, but the eternal home she has inherited only has joys in store.
At Mrs. Paulette's request, there will be no service. Her wishes were to be remembered as among the living. To all of her friends and family who were so willing to help her when she needed a ride to get chemo or just to drop by for a visit and ask if she needed anything, she wanted to express her sincere thanks. God Bless You All.
In lieu of flowers, Paulette would want people to consider being an organ donor, if able. Her husband, Harold, donated a kidney to his brother in 1985, and her daughter, Darla, was also an organ donor. Paulette deeply wished to be an organ donor and did have the opportunity on September 1, 1998 to donate a kidney to Darla, which added years to her life. She saw the impact and value within her own family and hoped for others to have similar success stories for added time together.
Share memories and condolences at www.gentrysmithfuneralhome.com Gentry-Smith Funeral Home, 303 Murfreesboro Rd. Woodbury, TN 37190, 615-563-5337 Because every life has a story
