Shirley Jean Woodward Potter died on June 28, 2023 at the age of 84.
She was born on Feb. 13, 1939 to Earl and Beulah Woodward.
Although they lived in the Oregon Slope region of Oregon, Shirley was the first
girl born in the new hospital in Payette, Idaho. She joined two older brothers in
the Woodward family (Don and Dick) and not long after, her brother Wes was
born to round out her family.
From the beginning, life was different for Shirley. Born completely blind, it took
many prayers from her wonderful parents and grandparents before she slowly
began to gain vision improvements from age 1 1/2 until she started school. This
improvement shocked most of the doctors, as they predicted she would never
be able to see. Choosing to stay with her family, she refused to go to a special
school for the blind and instead attended regular public schools. Although she
spent several summers in Portland attending classes to help with mobility
training and other issues that were unique to the vision handicapped, the
assistance from family and classmates allowed her to succeed in the public
school system, even joining several school choirs and other activities. The
Woodward family were ranchers, so they always lived in smaller communities.
These moves culminated in moving to Wallowa during her freshman year in high
school. The family would remain in this area and Shirley graduated from
Wallowa High School in 1957.
While preparing to leave for Eugene to attend the University of Oregon in the
fall of 1957, she attended a dance at Wallowa Lake Lodge during the summer.
This is where she met Jay Potter of Joseph. Both of them loved to dance, and
the chemistry was unmistakable. They fell in love and continued to date while
Shirley went to U of O for a year, and then business school for another. Jay
joined the Army Reserves and graduated in 1958 from Oregon State University.
They were married in Wallowa on Nov. 27, 1959 and have been inseparable ever
since.
Over the next several years, they called a few different towns in Eastern Oregon
home, including Enterprise and Milton-Freewater, but the town of Hermiston
seemed to be where they were called to live and raise their family. After the loss
of their baby son at birth in 1962, they adopted their daughter Lori Jean and
she joined their new family four days after her birth on March 27, 1963. Four
years later, on March 14, 1967, their son Bradley Jay was adopted and the
family was complete.
Shirley spent the majority of the next years raising and taking care the family
she loved. Jay, Lori and Brad were a handful for sure, but she, being an
amazing mother and wife, developed and managed the family with a skillful
hand and loving heart. Jay worked full time, so Shirley handled the day-to-day
obstacles that come with a full family.
Shirley, Jay and the entire family was dealt a huge blow when Lori passed away
in June 2005. Although an incredibly difficult time for everyone, with her faith in
God and the love of her family, she was able to carry on. Not a day went by
when she didn’t think about her angel Lori.
Jay was finally able to retire from the Portland General Electric Coal Fired Plant
in 1998, and he and Shirley were able to enjoy all their time together at the
home they had purchased in Hermiston 21 years earlier. They stayed in that
home until 2018, when they moved to a residential facility 30 miles away in
Richland, Wash., where she passed away on June 28, 2023.
Shirley is survived by her husband, Jay of Richland; son, Brad (Barbara) of
Benton City, Wash., grandchildren, Danielle and Tannen (Kelsee); great-grandchild, Marlee of Salem; brother; Wes (Jo) of Wallowa; sisters-in law,
Virginia of Wallowa and Mary Ann of La Grande; and numerous nieces and
nephews.
She was preceded in death by her infant son; daughter, Lori; parents, Earl and
Beulah; and brothers, Don and Dick Woodward.
A funeral service will be held on Friday, July 14, 2023 at 1 p.m. at Burns
Mortuary Chapel, Hermiston.
Burial will follow at the Hermiston Cemetery.
Please share memories of Shirley with her family at
burnsmortuaryhermiston.com.
Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is in care of arrangements.
