Obituary of Ken Potma

June 26, 1960 – Grimsby, Ontario

March 21, 2022 – Calgary, Alberta

We are saddened to announce our dear friend and brother, Ken Potma of Calgary, AB, passed away suddenly on Monday, March 21, 2022 at the age of 61 years.

Ken was predeceased by his parents, Antje (Anny) Potma and Pieter Thomas Potma. He is survived by his siblings, Sid Potma, Willy Potma and Kelly Veysey (Glyn) of Ontario; and various aunts, uncles and cousins in Ontario and Holland. He will be missed by his family and a wide circle of friends in Calgary, across Canada and the United States.

Ken was raised in and around Hamilton and Brockville, ON. After graduating from McMaster University, he began his career with Imperial Oil in Calgary. Ken was recognized as a leader in his field; in fact, his expertise was sought out by Imperial’s parent company, ExxonMobil, where he served multi-year stints in both Houston and Doha, Qatar. Ken had a long and distinguished career in the geosciences with Imperial / Exxon – a career he thoroughly enjoyed - until his retirement in 2015.

In addition to his work, Ken had a multitude of diverse interests. From high school through university and into his working life, Ken was an accomplished runner, even continuing on to the master’s level. After his running career, Ken maintained his fitness levels in a variety of ways, most recently with his epic daily 10-20 Km walks.

Ken maintained a passion for the outdoors and a love of nature throughout his life. He was fond of hiking in the mountain parks and was a frequent visitor to the Weaselhead conservation area. He was a world traveller, who at one point did an actual around the world tour circumnavigating the planet and has been on every continent except Antarctica. He always took great interest in the peoples and environments of the places he visited, and that fueled his understanding of the wider world and its issues.

Ken was passionate about the workings of his neighbourhood and the city, province, country and beyond.  He could be counted on to join committees and working groups for a variety of causes and was not shy about contacting councillors and 311 to make sure things got done and done right.

With a love of entertaining, Ken was the consummate host. An invitation to dinner meant you would be treated to a fantastic meal, great wine and lively conversation about the state of the world – all of which played out against a backdrop of wonderful music. Ken was an ardent supporter of the local arts. In addition to being a long-time season subscriber to both the Calgary Philharmonic and the Alberta Ballet, he collected the works of local artists.

Ken was a collector and connector of friends. He was great at staying in touch and his generosity knew few bounds. It’s not surprising that his circle of friends stretches the globe and spans decades. Above all, one of Ken’s greatest passions was his garden. A truly gifted gardener, Ken’s yard was the envy of many! He had a great eye and managed to engineer an ever-changing floral display to last the entire season.

All in all, Ken led a life well-lived – one that was cut short far too soon. A Celebration of this wonderful Life is being planned in Calgary for sometime in June or July.  Details will be shared at a later date. If friends so desire, memorial tributes may be made directly to the Nature Conservancy of Canada, 105 12 Ave SE #890, Calgary, AB T2G 1A1 Telephone: (403) 262-1253.

Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared and viewed here.

In living memory of Kenneth Potma, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Park Memorial, 5008 Elbow Drive SW, Calgary, AB T2S 2L5, Telephone: 403-243-8200.