David Dean Potter

David D. Potter, 68, of Round Rock, Texas, passed away on July 1, 2025, after a courageous nearly four-year battle with lymphoma. He faced his illness with strength, dignity, and a continued love for life.

David was born on January 1, 1957, in Pipestone, Minnesota, to Marlowe Dean Potter and Jean Lynd Koecher. A lifelong learner and global citizen, David graduated from St. Olaf College and went on to earn an MBA from Chulalongkorn University at the Sasin-Kellogg School of Management. His academic journey reflected his deep curiosity and passion for connecting with international cultures.

For over 25 years, David served with distinction as a Foreign Service Officer in the U.S. Department of State. He dedicated his career to helping American citizens overseas and supporting legal immigrants in their pursuit of a better life in the United States. His work was grounded in an uncompromising belief in justice, compassion, and the power of opportunity. He served in such countries as the Philippines, Italy, Indonesia, Egypt, China, and even Brazil at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. He has received multiple commendations and awards for his work, including from President Barack Obama. He has met many incredible people over the years from U.S. and foreign dignitaries to people such as Dr. Zahi Hawass and Andrea Bocelli.

Prior to his work in the Foreign Service, he worked at the International Catholic Migration Commission in Bangkok, processing immigrant refugees from Southeast Asia to the United States. He also worked for Immigration and Customs Enforcement in New Jersey, interviewing asylum refugees to the United States. Working with immigrants facing hardship was deeply meaningful to David, shaping his lifelong commitment to serving vulnerable populations with empathy and integrity.

David married Pratoom Boonsupa Potter in Bangkok, Thailand, with whom he raised two strong, independent children, Noramone Potter and Benjamin Potter, and is a proud grandfather to Finley Corinne Potter. On September 8, 2017, David married Qing Li in Virginia. Together they shared a life full of laughter, travel, and mutual support. He is also survived by his parents and his loving siblings, Carol, John, and Mary Beth.

David lived with intention, guided by high standards, intellectualism, and spirituality. He took great joy in sharing the things he loved—especially music, food, history, and his unwavering support for Liverpool FC. A skilled home cook and passionate gardener and aspirant birder, David found beauty in the natural world and joy in life’s simple pleasures; always curious and always giving.

To those who knew him, David was thoughtful, generous, and had a famous (or infamous) quirky sense of humor. He was always ready with a story, a song, or a perfectly timed joke. He built lifelong friendships and mentored many, driven by a deep desire to help others grow and succeed.

We will be holding a small gathering of close friends and family to celebrate David’s inspiring, colorful, and free-spirited life on July 27, 2025, at our home in Round Rock. If you would like to share your memories of David, please contact [email protected]. We invite you to send a story, a photo, or a song that reminds you of David, so we can remember him together in the spirit he lived.

He will be deeply missed, lovingly remembered, and forever celebrated.