Long-time Richland resident Dorothy Helen Goodwin Potter died peacefully in her home on March 26, 2002, after a long battle with cancer.
She was born September 1, 1920 in the family home in the Wenas Valley north of Selah, to Charles William and Alma May Williamson Goodwin, and was the youngest of their five children. Her Grandfather, Christopher Columbus Goodwin, had come to the Yakima Valley with the Goodwin wagon train in 1865, other relatives helping to establish Old Yakima. Her great-grandmother was the first white woman buried in this part of the Territory, and lies in the Pioneer Cemetery in Union Gap.
Dorothy attended rural schools in the upper and lower Wenas Valley and Selah Central School, graduating from Selah High School in 1938.
After graduation she worked as a housekeeper and cook in Yakima for the magnificent sum of $ 5.00 per week. During this time she took night business courses and art correspondence course and had charcoal drawings in an art show in Yakima in 1940.
She then attended business school in Seattle and was working for the Immigration and Naturalization Service when she joined the U. S. Navy as a WAVE in 1943. Her naval training took place in the Bronx, N. Y.; Hunter College, and yeoman school in Cedar Falls, Iowa. She was stationed in Norfolk Virginia, becoming private secretary to Admiral Slarrow. She was a Chief Yeoman when discharged in 1947.
With her young son Mike, Dorothy came to the Tri Cities in 1955 and was employed as a secretary for 31 years, retiring in 1985. She first worked in the Counsel's office for the AEC, later for G.E., first in personnel, then the Counsel's office. Her last 20 years until retirement were spent as a supervisor at the HEHF. She was responsible for working with scientists setting up the National Transuranium Registry, tracking the effects of radiation on workers at Hanford and sites in Idaho Falls, Denver and at Savannah River, GA. In 1967 she passed the rigorous examination necessary to become a Certified Professional Secretary and for many years wrote a problem-solving column in the Secretary's magazine. Coworkers remember her reputation for high standards, hard work, and professionalism. She was offered as a role model for younger employees coming in.
During her early years of single parenthood, she made all of her own clothes, and throughout her life always had a handwork project or three going. Her friends and family were the recipients of the many afghans, sweaters and, whimsical animals that came from her skill at knitting and crochet.
Dorothy was artistic and also musically talented. An alto, she formerly sang in the choir of Central United Protestant Church, sometimes soloing in their presentations. She took a Famous Writers Course to hone her writing skills and was a frequent to the ''Secretary on the Spot'' column in the ''Secretary'' magazine of the National Secretaries Association, and also a contributor to Animal Lover's Magazine.
Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents, sister Violet May, brothers Eugene Thomas, and Charles Virgil and her second husband Graham Potter. She is survived by her son Michael Perkins of Benton City, her sister Brenda Glenn and niece Sharon Glenn of Yakima and her nephew Bill Glenn of Richland.
Memorial services will be held at 2 P.M. on Saturday, March 30th at the Center for Positive Living, 210 E. Third Avenue in Kennewick.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.
She was born September 1, 1920 in the family home in the Wenas Valley north of Selah, to Charles William and Alma May Williamson Goodwin, and was the youngest of their five children. Her Grandfather, Christopher Columbus Goodwin, had come to the Yakima Valley with the Goodwin wagon train in 1865, other relatives helping to establish Old Yakima. Her great-grandmother was the first white woman buried in this part of the Territory, and lies in the Pioneer Cemetery in Union Gap.
Dorothy attended rural schools in the upper and lower Wenas Valley and Selah Central School, graduating from Selah High School in 1938.
After graduation she worked as a housekeeper and cook in Yakima for the magnificent sum of $ 5.00 per week. During this time she took night business courses and art correspondence course and had charcoal drawings in an art show in Yakima in 1940.
She then attended business school in Seattle and was working for the Immigration and Naturalization Service when she joined the U. S. Navy as a WAVE in 1943. Her naval training took place in the Bronx, N. Y.; Hunter College, and yeoman school in Cedar Falls, Iowa. She was stationed in Norfolk Virginia, becoming private secretary to Admiral Slarrow. She was a Chief Yeoman when discharged in 1947.
With her young son Mike, Dorothy came to the Tri Cities in 1955 and was employed as a secretary for 31 years, retiring in 1985. She first worked in the Counsel's office for the AEC, later for G.E., first in personnel, then the Counsel's office. Her last 20 years until retirement were spent as a supervisor at the HEHF. She was responsible for working with scientists setting up the National Transuranium Registry, tracking the effects of radiation on workers at Hanford and sites in Idaho Falls, Denver and at Savannah River, GA. In 1967 she passed the rigorous examination necessary to become a Certified Professional Secretary and for many years wrote a problem-solving column in the Secretary's magazine. Coworkers remember her reputation for high standards, hard work, and professionalism. She was offered as a role model for younger employees coming in.
During her early years of single parenthood, she made all of her own clothes, and throughout her life always had a handwork project or three going. Her friends and family were the recipients of the many afghans, sweaters and, whimsical animals that came from her skill at knitting and crochet.
Dorothy was artistic and also musically talented. An alto, she formerly sang in the choir of Central United Protestant Church, sometimes soloing in their presentations. She took a Famous Writers Course to hone her writing skills and was a frequent to the ''Secretary on the Spot'' column in the ''Secretary'' magazine of the National Secretaries Association, and also a contributor to Animal Lover's Magazine.
Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents, sister Violet May, brothers Eugene Thomas, and Charles Virgil and her second husband Graham Potter. She is survived by her son Michael Perkins of Benton City, her sister Brenda Glenn and niece Sharon Glenn of Yakima and her nephew Bill Glenn of Richland.
Memorial services will be held at 2 P.M. on Saturday, March 30th at the Center for Positive Living, 210 E. Third Avenue in Kennewick.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Long-time Richland resident Dorothy Helen Goodwin Potter died peacefully in her home on March 26, 2002, after a long battle with cancer.
She was born September 1, 1920 in the family home in the Wenas Valley north of Selah, to Charles William and Alma May Williamson Goodwin, and was the youngest of their five children. Her Grandfather, Christopher Columbus Goodwin, had come to the Yakima Valley with the Goodwin wagon train in 1865, other relatives helping to establish Old Yakima. Her great-grandmother was the first white woman buried in this part of the Territory, and lies in the Pioneer Cemetery in Union Gap.
Dorothy attended rural schools in the upper and lower Wenas Valley and Selah Central School, graduating from Selah High School in 1938.
After graduation she worked as a housekeeper and cook in Yakima for the magnificent sum of $ 5.00 per week. During this time she took night business courses and art correspondence course and had charcoal drawings in an art show in Yakima in 1940.
She then attended business school in Seattle and was working for the Immigration and Naturalization Service when she joined the U. S. Navy as a WAVE in 1943. Her naval training took place in the Bronx, N. Y.; Hunter College, and yeoman school in Cedar Falls, Iowa. She was stationed in Norfolk Virginia, becoming private secretary to Admiral Slarrow. She was a Chief Yeoman when discharged in 1947.
With her young son Mike, Dorothy came to the Tri Cities in 1955 and was employed as a secretary for 31 years, retiring in 1985. She first worked in the Counsel's office for the AEC, later for G.E., first in personnel, then the Counsel's office. Her last 20 years until retirement were spent as a supervisor at the HEHF. She was responsible for working with scientists setting up the National Transuranium Registry, tracking the effects of radiation on workers at Hanford and sites in Idaho Falls, Denver and at Savannah River, GA. In 1967 she passed the rigorous examination necessary to become a Certified Professional Secretary and for many years wrote a problem-solving column in the Secretary's magazine. Coworkers remember her reputation for high standards, hard work, and professionalism. She was offered as a role model for younger employees coming in.
During her early years of single parenthood, she made all of her own clothes, and throughout her life always had a handwork project or three going. Her friends and family were the recipients of the many afghans, sweaters and, whimsical animals that came from her skill at knitting and crochet.
Dorothy was artistic and also musically talented. An alto, she formerly sang in the choir of Central United Protestant Church, sometimes soloing in their presentations. She took a Famous Writers Course to hone her writing skills and was a frequent to the ''Secretary on the Spot'' column in the ''Secretary'' magazine of the National Secretaries Association, and also a contributor to Animal Lover's Magazine.
Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents, sister Violet May, brothers Eugene Thomas, and Charles Virgil and her second husband Graham Potter. She is survived by her son Michael Perkins of Benton City, her sister Brenda Glenn and niece Sharon Glenn of Yakima and her nephew Bill Glenn of Richland.
Memorial services will be held at 2 P.M. on Saturday, March 30th at the Center for Positive Living, 210 E. Third Avenue in Kennewick.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.
She was born September 1, 1920 in the family home in the Wenas Valley north of Selah, to Charles William and Alma May Williamson Goodwin, and was the youngest of their five children. Her Grandfather, Christopher Columbus Goodwin, had come to the Yakima Valley with the Goodwin wagon train in 1865, other relatives helping to establish Old Yakima. Her great-grandmother was the first white woman buried in this part of the Territory, and lies in the Pioneer Cemetery in Union Gap.
Dorothy attended rural schools in the upper and lower Wenas Valley and Selah Central School, graduating from Selah High School in 1938.
After graduation she worked as a housekeeper and cook in Yakima for the magnificent sum of $ 5.00 per week. During this time she took night business courses and art correspondence course and had charcoal drawings in an art show in Yakima in 1940.
She then attended business school in Seattle and was working for the Immigration and Naturalization Service when she joined the U. S. Navy as a WAVE in 1943. Her naval training took place in the Bronx, N. Y.; Hunter College, and yeoman school in Cedar Falls, Iowa. She was stationed in Norfolk Virginia, becoming private secretary to Admiral Slarrow. She was a Chief Yeoman when discharged in 1947.
With her young son Mike, Dorothy came to the Tri Cities in 1955 and was employed as a secretary for 31 years, retiring in 1985. She first worked in the Counsel's office for the AEC, later for G.E., first in personnel, then the Counsel's office. Her last 20 years until retirement were spent as a supervisor at the HEHF. She was responsible for working with scientists setting up the National Transuranium Registry, tracking the effects of radiation on workers at Hanford and sites in Idaho Falls, Denver and at Savannah River, GA. In 1967 she passed the rigorous examination necessary to become a Certified Professional Secretary and for many years wrote a problem-solving column in the Secretary's magazine. Coworkers remember her reputation for high standards, hard work, and professionalism. She was offered as a role model for younger employees coming in.
During her early years of single parenthood, she made all of her own clothes, and throughout her life always had a handwork project or three going. Her friends and family were the recipients of the many afghans, sweaters and, whimsical animals that came from her skill at knitting and crochet.
Dorothy was artistic and also musically talented. An alto, she formerly sang in the choir of Central United Protestant Church, sometimes soloing in their presentations. She took a Famous Writers Course to hone her writing skills and was a frequent to the ''Secretary on the Spot'' column in the ''Secretary'' magazine of the National Secretaries Association, and also a contributor to Animal Lover's Magazine.
Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents, sister Violet May, brothers Eugene Thomas, and Charles Virgil and her second husband Graham Potter. She is survived by her son Michael Perkins of Benton City, her sister Brenda Glenn and niece Sharon Glenn of Yakima and her nephew Bill Glenn of Richland.
Memorial services will be held at 2 P.M. on Saturday, March 30th at the Center for Positive Living, 210 E. Third Avenue in Kennewick.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.
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