Mark D Potter

Mark D Potter, 70, of Ivins, Utah passed away peacefully in his home on August 20, 2025 surrounded by his beloved family after a long battle with a glioblastoma.

He was born on March 22, 1955 in Provo, Utah to D Waldo Potter and Mary Ellen Hanks Potter. He spent his childhood years in the rural towns of Kingston and Benjamin, Utah where he worked the family farm with his siblings. He was a tender little boy who always loved animals and had a habit of bringing home strays. His gentle nature always kept him busy tending to animals and people throughout his life.

He graduated from Spanish Fork High School in 1973, he enjoyed his high school years doing seminary council, running cross country, and being rodeo club president. He served as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Sendai, Japan. He spoke fluent Japanese and loved the Japanese people deeply.

Upon his return, he attended Dixie College, Southern Utah State College and graduated from Weber State University with a bachelor’s degree in Geology. He worked many jobs, a veterinary assistant, wildland firefighter and exploration geologist for a mining company. He married his sweetheart, Kayleen Bundy on September 11, 1981 in the St. George Temple. He worked as a geologist and they lived in Hanksville, Utah. He loved the outdoors and spent a lot of time with family and friends camping, hiking, climbing, skiing, fly fishing and cooking dutch oven. Even as their family grew, he packed the kids in a hiking backpack and continued to enjoy the outdoors as a family.

In 1985, after a work accident he felt guided to a new career. So, he began the pre-service process for teaching seminary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Though at first he seemed rough around the edges, his teaching obervers noted that he taught so powerfully and was well suited for a life of teaching the gospel. He was hired and taught for 30 years, he influenced thousands of high school and middle school students at many schools: Delta, Hurricane, Dixie, Pineview, Snow Canyon and at the Institute of Religion at Dixie College in St. George, Utah, American River College in Sacramento, CA and the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. He earned a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Brigham Young University and an Educational Doctorate from Utah State University.

While he taught the gospel of Jesus Christ for his day job, he also lived the gospel of Jesus Christ in every other aspect of his life. He had many callings, serving as Scoutmaster, Young Men leader, Bishop of the Ivins 2nd Ward and a high counselor of the Ivins Stake. He was a faithful minister and missionary, often going out of his way to find people and help them feel God’s love for them.

After he and Kayleen retired, they chose to serve as missionaries together and they were again called to serve in the Sendai, Japan mission. He was able to return to the place and the people he loved so much and see the growth of the church there. While serving as missionaries, Mark was diagnosed with cancer and they returned to the States to seek treatment surrounded by a loving supportive family. Two months after his first brain surgery, they continued their service as missionaries finishing in the St. George, Utah mission. He battled brain cancer for nearly seven years, doing every possible treatment to slow the growth and spend as much time as he could with his family. We are amazed at his resilience and grit during that time and he always acknowledged the miracles and grace that surrounded him.

Mark is preceeded in death by his parents.

He is survived by his eternal companion Kayleen, and his children Megan McPherson (Mark) of Hermiston, OR, Akayleia Frehner (Brandon) of Herriman, UT, Ashley Shelton (Brad) of Ivins, UT, Marissa Schwicht (Jeffrey) of West Point, NY and Aaron Potter (Monique) of Eagle Mountain, UT and 15 grandchildren. He is also survived by his siblings Van, Linda, Matthew, Susan, Gordon, Julia, Mabel, MaryDee and Shawn.

• “Thou shalt live together in love, insomuch that thou shalt weep for the loss of them that die…And it shall come to pass that those that die in me shall not taste of death, for it shall be sweet unto them.”

-Doctrine and Covenants 42:45-46

A viewing will be held on Friday, August 29, 2025 from 6:30-8:30 pm at Hughes Mortuary at 1037 E. 700 S. St. George, UT 84790. 

Funeral services will be held on Saturday August 30, 2025 at the Ivins Stake Center at 260 E. 1060 S. Ivins, UT 84738. Interment will take place in the Ivins City Cemetery.

Arrangements are made under the direction of Hughes Mortuary. 1037 E. 700 S. St. George, Utah (435) 674-5000.