Aug. 30, 2023

The University is saddened to learn of the passing of Professor Emerita Nancy Potter. She died peacefully at home on Thursday, August 24. She was 97.  

Nancy was a professor of English at URI for 42 years. The West Kingston resident retired in 1989 after a career teaching modern American and British literature and creative writing and serving in various administrative positions. Nancy was a beloved advisor and mentor, as well as a published author. She directed 50 master’s and Ph.D. theses and won Fulbright Senior Lecturer Grants in American Literature in Argentina, New Zealand, and Chile. She was a master of the short story, widely published, and a recipient of the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Born in Manhattan in 1926 and raised in Connecticut, Nancy received her B.A. and M.A. from Tufts University and her Ph.D. from Boston University. She was also a member of the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame.

Several students have benefitted from the Nancy Potter Endowment at URI, funded by colleagues and former students in her honor and enhanced by her own contributions.

Nancy will be missed by her URI colleagues and students, many of whom became lifelong friends.

A visiting hour will be held on Thursday, August 31 from 10–11 a.m. at the S.R. Avery Funeral Home, Hope Valley, Rhode Island, followed by a funeral service and burial in Connecticut. A link to her full obituary can be found here.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Nancy Potter Endowment through the University of Rhode Island Foundation & Alumni Engagement, PO Box 1700, Kingston, RI 02881.