Husband, Father, Grandfather, Professor, Storyteller

Joseph L. Potts, age 84, died Tuesday, January 7, 2025, at Boston Medical Center, after a short hospitalization. He died peacefully surrounded by his three loving sons.

Born and raised in South Boston, Joe was an athlete, musician and quite the character in school. He was the fourth of five children and only son in the Potts family. He attended Gate of Heaven School in South Boston and Boston Tech High School. His sense of humor, and love of a good story are attributes he carried with him through life.

He started his professional life surveying roads and later became a draftsman, before obtaining his undergrad and MBA degrees from Northeastern University. This led to a stint in finance before he found his true calling—teaching. Answering an ad for adjunct faculty at Northeastern University, he went on to a very successful and celebrated teaching career at a variety of colleges and universities around Greater Boston, from Northeastern (where he obtained his treasured Windsor chair for achieving 25 years on the faculty) to Lasell College in Newton, Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy and the Katherine Gibbs School.

Joe met his beloved wife, Judith Mary Costello Potts, through friends on Cape Cod. After a short but eventful courtship, Judy and Joe married at St. John the Baptist Church in Quincy. They went on to have a happy and loving 44-year marriage, including three sons, Jon Paul, Christian and Galen. Their home on Judson St. was the house everyone hung out at, with the boys always bringing friends over to play, for sleepovers or to stop for a cool drink on a hot day. Both Joe and Judy were deeply invested in the Braintree community with Joe serving as the coach of innumerable sports teams. He was involved in local civic organizations, such as the North Braintree Civic Association and was known among the neighbors on Judson St. for his famous chili, spicy margaritas and his love of a good joke or story.

For many years Joe and Judy taught Roman Catholic Pre-Cana at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Quincy and were beloved members of the St. John’s community and later of the Roman Catholic Paulist Center community in Boston.

After Judy passed from cancer in 2013, Joe met the second love of his life, Barbara Toft of Plymouth, who he was with for almost 10 years. Together, Joe and Barbara attended art shows, went to see music concerts, movies and theater across the South Shore and celebrated the final act of Joe’s life together. Joe’s three sons grew to love Barbara and will always be thankful for the love and companionship she provided Joe until the day he died.

As the father of three loving sons, Joe was fond of dropping obscure facts on the family which his boys dubbed “Four F’s” or “Fantastic Facts From Father.” Among his sons and their friends, Joe was known affectionately as “Jos” and “Mighty Joe” – nicknames he proudly carried to the end of his life. Even after one son moved to North Carolina and another to Connecticut, he was a doting grandfather to his nine grandchildren and the weekly check-in calls from one of his sons would inevitably lead to stories about his beloved Braintree or a story from his colorful youth on the streets of Southie, definitely a few jokes and always a great conversation.

Joe is survived by his three sons, Jon Paul Potts and his wife Renee, of Fuquay-Varina, N.C.; Christian Potts and his wife Katrina, of Madison, Conn.; Galen Potts and his wife Wendy, of Norton, Mass.; and his loving companion, Barbara Toft, of Plymouth, Mass. In addition, Joe leaves a legacy of nine grandchildren; Lily, Rowen, Noah and Riley Potts of Fuquay-Varina, N.C.; Ava and Alex Potts of Madison, Conn.; and Ryan, Casey and Keira Potts of Norton, Mass.

Joe was pre-deceased by his loving wife of 44 years, Judith M.C. Potts; and by his four sisters, Virginia Curran, Joan Nee, Elizabeth Connors and Lois Foley.

Visiting hours will be held at the Sweeney Brothers Home for Funerals, 1 Independence Avenue, Quincy, on Monday, January 13, from 4 – 7 p.m. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated in Saint John the Baptist Church, 44 School Street, Quincy, on Tuesday, January 14, at 10:30 a.m. Cremation will follow.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Joe’s name to Father Bill’s & MainSpring, 430 Belmont Street, Brockton, MA 02301 or www.helpfbms.org.