By Rebecca Goodman
The Cincinnati Enquirer

BELLEVUE - Tom Potter, assistant athletic director and assistant football coach at Newport Central Catholic High School, died Tuesday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Edgewood. The Bellevue resident was 54.

Mr. Potter worked behind the scenes, tending to such matters as travel arrangements, ordering equipment and seeing that the programs were printed. He refused public recognition for his work.

A member of NewCath's class of 1967, Mr. Potter played football there his freshman year and was a member of the golf team.

But even in those days he suffered from poor health.

After graduation he went into the sporting goods business, operating a store on Monmouth Street in Newport. But more than 22 years ago he gave up the store because of declining health and went to work for NewCath.

"I think because he had been in such poor health, he was very aware of children who had special needs," said Bob Schneider, NewCath's football coach.

Mr. Potter recruited students to volunteer for the Special Olympics and ran the school's Tootsie Roll Drive with the Knights of Columbus to benefit Redwood School.

He was also interested in benefiting student athletes from other schools. As executive director of the Northern Kentucky Football Coaches Association, he organized postseason awards banquets and senior all-star games and helped recruit local players for college. He was a member and board member of the National Football Foundation and a member of St. Therese Church.

Six years ago, Mr. Potter underwent open-heart surgery and began taking thrice-weekly dialysis treatments.

Instead of slowing down, he stepped up his work at NewCath and with other organizations.

Last Friday he was at the school making preparations for the upcoming football season when players found him unconscious.

Mr. Potter donated his body to the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.

Survivors include his wife, Susan Catherine Ryan Potter; a daughter, Kelly Willis of Southgate; a son, Christopher Ryan Potter of Villa Hills; three sisters, Jeanne Able of Latonia, Carolyn Termuhlen of Alexandria and Julie Miller of Broomfield, Colo.; three brothers, Jack of North Port, Fla., Larry of Engelwood, Fla., and Jerry of Edgewood; and three grandchildren.

A memorial service is 11 a.m. today at St. Therese Church, 11 Temple Place in Southgate.

Memorials: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memorial Department, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.