My cousin Father Joe Pottie died

My cousin Father Joe died today at the QEII hospital in Halifax Nova Scotia.

Joe Pottie hadn’t been a Roman Catholic priest for 30 years but it was the way we remembered him.

“Father Joe” had been a priest but left to marry Kaye a singer, church music director and mother.

The shock sent ripples through our family, especially his immediate family. His parents, Max and Tilly Pottie, raised three priests and nun. The younger family members said, why not?

Joe was technically my father’s cousin but in the Pottie and Pate family it you’re not an aunt or uncle, you’re a cousin. 

Joe was well-known throughout the Maritimes. When I moved to PEI in 1975, a priest and professor at UPEI called me on the phone to see if I was related to Joe.

He had a love of God and for singing and he put both together as often as he could. After the priesthood he worked part-time as a singing bartender.

Joe’s warm and open personality made him a friend of everyone he met. When Joe entered a room, people went to say hello. He thought well of all and ill of none. He was a model of the Christian spirit in a man and ecumenical thought.

After leaving the priesthood, he qualified to become an Anglican priest and served in that role until retirement. He was a man of God, irrespective of religious labels.

I loved him the first time we met and considered him a role model of how one should live.

Everyone will miss him.

The announcement is in the Halifax Herald.

The First Baptist Church published this note of sympathy

In Memory of Rev. Joe Pottie

First Baptist Church Halifax extends sincere sympathy to Kaye Pottie and family in the loss of her husband, the Rev. Joseph Pottie. Kaye is a former Interim Choir Director for our congregation. A Memorial celebration will take place in the Cathedral Church of All Saints, 5732 College St., Tuesday, September 23 at 2 p.m.

POTTIE, Joseph Leo – 74, Halifax. It is with deep sadness that we announce the sudden death of Joseph Pottie in the QEII, Health Sciences Centre on September 18, 2008. He was the son of Maxime and Denathilde (Chiasson) Pottie, and beloved husband of Kaye Pottie.

“Joe”, as he preferred to be called, grew up in Halifax attending St. Mary’s Boys School and St. Patrick’s High School. He attended St. Mary’s University until 1954 when he entered Holy Heart Seminary to study for the Roman Catholic Priesthood. He was ordained in 1958.

As a Roman Catholic Priest he served at Immaculate Conception, Woodside, St. Thomas More in Westphal, St. Charles in Amherst, St. Mary’s Basilica, Nativity of our Lady in Amherst and was instrumental in the building of Pope John XXII Church in Colby Village where he was the pastor for five years.

He left the Roman Catholic Priesthood in 1978 to marry. He then worked in human services as a counselor with the Neighbourhood Work Activity Program and in the regional Residential Services Society. He joined the staff of Northwood Manor and Multipurpose Centre as Program Director and even filled in as the signing bartender.

He was inducted into the Anglican Priesthood in 1991 and served as Chaplain/Pastoral Coordinator at Northwood Centre until retirement. He has ministered at St. Matthias Church and other Anglican parishes throughout the diocese. At the time of his death he was Honourary Associate Priest at St. John’s Anglican Church, Fairview. On April 13, 2008, he celebrated his 50th Anniversary of ordination at St. John’s.

Joe was a singer. He believed in the statement: “I am so I sing”. He loved people and gave any gathering a spirit of celebration. His favourite recreational pastimes were golfing and bridge. His golf and bridge buddies will miss him. He was a loving stepfather to Kaye’s children winning their love and respect.

He was predeceased by his father, Maxime; mother, Denathilde; sister, Shirley and brother Wilfred Pottie.

He is survived by his loving wife, Kaye’s stepchildren, John Dimock (Bev), Elizabeth Dimock (Robert), Douglas Dimock (Heidi) and James Dimock; grandchildren, Amy, Daniel, Cody, Trevor and Nicholas; one great-grandchild, Abby Louise; sisters, Sister Anna Pottie, Marie Walsh; brothers, Thomas Pottie (Mary), Wayne Pottie (Jean), Father Charles Pottie, Winnipeg, Man.;Father Kenneth Pottie, Halifax and many nieces and nephews. He will be dearly missed by all his family and friends. Visitation will be 5-9 p.m. today in Snows Funeral Home, Windsor Street. Memorial celebration in Cathedral Church of All Saints, 5732 College St., Tuesday, September 23 at 2 p.m. Memorial donations may be made to Hope Cottage, 2435 Brunswick St., Halifax, NS B3K 2Z4, which was founded by Joe’s mentor Father Joe Mills, or a charity of choice.

“Look for the silver lining where’er a cloud appears in the blue. Remember somewhere the sun is shining and so the right thing to do is to make it shine for you. A heart full of joy and gladness will always banish sadness and strife. So always look for the silver lining and try to find the sunny side of life.”