James Henry Simpson Poteet, Sr.

James Henry Simpson Poteet, Sr., age 93, of New Castle, DE, passed away peacefully with his daughter by his side on Monday, June 30, 2014 at the VA Community Living Center. Born in Wilmington, Delaware on February 20, 1921, Mr. Poteet was the son of the late Charles S. Poteet, Sr. and Annie F. Beideman Poteet. He proudly served his country in the US Army during WWII and was a member of the 339th Engineer Battalion, which bravely fought in the South Pacific, including Japan, the Philippines and New Guinea. A skilled carpenter, Mr. Poteet made his career with Pettinaro Construction, retiring in 1992 after 30 years of dedicated service. He was a longtime member of Loyal Order of the Moose Lodge #1578. Mr. Poteet was a man of strong Christian faith and beliefs. He enjoyed gardening and was happy to use his carpentry talents to build and repair things. An avid animal lover, he held a special place in his heart for his pets, especially his dogs. Mr. Poteet was happiest in the company of his beloved family and will be dearly missed. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Grace Tilghman, who passed away in 1992 and his first wife, Mary N. Howell, who passed away in 1958; twin sister, Audrey Payton; and 3 sisters, Annie Fenimore, Rosalie Grover and Margaret Poteet. Mr. Poteet is survived by his children, Shirley N. Burkholder (Donald) of Middletown and James H. Poteet, Jr. (Debbie) of Bear; brother, Charles S. Poteet, Jr. of Claymont; 4 granddaughters, Cheryl Coffin (Fred), Kelly Foltz (Jason), Kimberlee Postlethwait (Sam) and Kristen Riley (Shawn); 6 great grandchildren, Nathan, Tyler, Lauren, Shane, Mason and Lane; longtime companion, Julia Person; special niece, Audie Payton; many nieces and nephews; and his faithful canine companion, Chipper. A funeral service will be held at 11 am on Monday morning, July 7, 2014, at the Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Home, 1000 N. DuPont Parkway, New Castle, DE, where a visitation will be held from 10 am until 11 am. Entombment will be held privately in Gracelawn Memorial Park, New Castle, DE. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), 455 Stanton-Christiana Road, Newark, DE 19713 or to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, First State Chapter 100 W. 10th St. Wilmington, DE 19801.