A mud-spattered helmet, a ski pole, deer antlers and fishing lures complemented the display of pictures that chronicled the life of Apalachin resident Glenn Potts. A memorial service was held December 29th at Faith Christian Fellowship Church in Apalachin where Glenn had been a member for 22 years. The 53-year-old Lockheed Martin technician specialist died on Christmas Eve from complications due to liver damage sustained in a trucking accident ten years ago, which was compounded by autoimmune liver disease.

 Glenn's laid-back, life-of-the-party existence sparked the lives of family, friends and co-workers who attended the "toast-and-roast" memorial service conducted by Pastor Pete Darling.

 I dubbed him the ‘unofficial director of entertainment' for the church and spent over twenty years sharing in home-schooling activities and skiing with Glenn and the Potts family. Whenever we'd get heavy snow, I'd never call Glenn and ask, "Are we going?" It was always, "Where are we going (which slope)?" 

 He'd have the whole vanload of skiers laughing hysterically at his wild stories, complete with sound effects. Glenn was a rough-and-tumble guy who pushed the limit in whatever he did and wanted others to do the same. Susie (Chaffee) Seifert attested to that after her "learn-to-ski trip" conducted by Glenn landed her in rehab with a torn cartilage. Glenn himself wore a knee brace while skiing. Nothing stopped him.

 "If you told Dad he couldn't do something, he'd do it just to prove you wrong," said his son Derek. After attempting to move the forge together with his blacksmithing friend Stiles Thissell, Derek said that Stiles intellectually concluded that it was mathematically and physically impossible to move. "My Dad grabbed the forge on his own, picked it up with all of his might and that was it."

Pastor Pete mentioned how he and Rick Robinson took their boys on a father/son canoe trip organized by Glenn. After paddling three days to the point of exhaustion, the crew asked a man on the riverbank how much farther it was to Binghamton, their destination. "About 25 miles," the man said. They'd been paddling down the wrong river, the Susquehanna, instead of the Chenango. 

Golfing and fishing buddy Greg Mydosh said he'll never forget fishing on the river and dodging thunder and lightning bolts as he and Glenn rode out the storm by hiding under their canoes, then stripping off wet clothes and driving home half-naked.

Glenn's brother Dave and cousin Mindy, who was like a sister to him, agreed that he was wild and crazy from birth. But Dave revealed a compassionate side: while canoeing together in Florida as kids, he recalled how Glenn used to pick up trash along the river, arriving with a load of tin cans and other debris. The man from whom they rented the canoes was so impressed that he let them use them at no charge. 

Church member Glenn Williams remembers how Glenn would be the first one to volunteer the use of his truck and help load boxes when anyone needed to move. He used to plow snow to earn extra "ski" money, but always voluntarily plowed the church lot for many years. 

 Greg Darling recalls that Glenn was a "kid-at-heart" driving into the snow-covered church parking lot with his signature mud-covered Caravan, spinning a tight doughnut in the snow and sporting a wide grin.

 Fellow NYTRO 4-Wheeler Club member, Chris Benjamin, shared pictures of muddy Glenn and said, "We had the best time….His love of life will always inspire me."

 Cindy Moore said his laugh "still rings in my ears…Glenn's playful spirit will be missed." 

 In taking over Glenn's wood cutting chores, his son James wondered how he did everything. Between working full time, playing full time and helping others…he was able to pack more in a day than anyone, James said. Sleep wasn't a priority with Glenn.

 "He was passionate about everything he did and believed in the more and merrier," said his friend Gary Chaffee. He and Glenn went to Kingdom Bound, a Christian musical event, and he recalls how riveting the praise and worship experience was for them. When his children were younger, Glenn helped out with the children's ministry and youth groups at FCF. He'd dress up as Percy the Parrot wearing gold tights and do hilarious skits based on the Bible. 

 "I remember one skit where he played Jonah, which included physically reenacting being shot out of the fish's mouth and skipping across the water," recalled Greg Darling.

 Throughout his life, Glenn would say, "God is good, all the time." Friends and family mentioned how they'll carry on his infectious fun times and zest for life. 

 Glenn is survived by his loving wife, Carol, who said the seven years of  their marriage were the best years of her life; son, Derek and his girlfriend, Victoria Marlowe, who found common ground with Glenn in their "live-to-tell-the-tale" lifestyle; Kelly Potts-Babuka and her husband Justin; son, James Potts, daughter, Andrea Potts and step-son Judah Thissell, all of Apalachin; his brother and sister-in-law Dave and Barbara Potts and their children, Justin and Audra; and a cousin, Mindy Reade, all of Florida.

 He is buried at Vestal Hills Memorial Cemetery. 
 

 Jill Darling is the pastor's wife of Faith Christian Fellowship Church in Apalachin and a freelance writer featured in books, newspapers and magazines.