TRIBUTES are flowing for one of Wagga’s most beloved principals and a pillar of the community, Geoff Potter.
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The trailblazing educator died peacefully last week, aged 98, surrounded by family and friends at the Loreto Home of Compassion.
He is being remembered as a passionate – and often strict – mentor to his students, a highly competitive sportsman and a dedicated family man.
Mr Potter was a man of great faith, spending many of his spare weekends volunteering at the church.
He was held in high esteem by a number of notable Australians, including former student and NRL great Chris Mortimer, who described him as the “best principal in the country”.
Daughter Fay Everson said even in his final years, her dad became an asset to the retirement village by offering a shoulder to weep on and words of encouragement to his neighbours.
“His last years of life were hard, but even through his struggles he became a highly regarded friend and mentor to those in the home,” she said.
“He thrived off giving people direction, encouraging them to reach their goals and then watching them succeed – he lived for those moments.
“Geoff's greatest love was for his wife, his five children, 15 grandchildren and 26 great grandchildren who all loved him dearly.”
He was the founding Principal of Mount Austin Public School in 1959.
After two years he moved to Kooringal Public School where he was principal for more than two decades.
“When dad first started at Mount Austin, Bruce Street didn’t even exist and the school was surrounded by grazing cattle,” Ms Everson said.
“It took a lot of perseverance for him to make it work.”
A former pupil at Kooringal Public, Craig Parker described Mr Potter as a “tireless, tough and ambitious man” who strived for greatness.
“Anyone he taught had a good chance of succeeding,” he said.
Geoff Potter’s funeral was held at the Kooringal Catholic Church at 10.30am on Tuesday.
He thrived off giving people direction, encouraging them to reach their goals and then watching them succeed.
- Geoff's daughter, Fay Everson