Obituary of Lucy Potts

Lucy Nina Noel Potts Died peacefully on Tuesday, December 21st, 2010 in her 90th year. She was born on June 11, 1921 in Constantinople (Istanbul) of mixed Russian and English parentage. Her upbringing and education were unusually cosmopolitan, for during her school years she and her mother were moving continually between Germany, France and England. Lucy was very proud of the fact that she spoke four languages fluently, Russian (which was her first language), English, German and French. She settled in the UK in 1938, where she taught and also worked as a translator at the international news agency, Reuters. In 1941, she met the love of her life, Robert Edmund Kitchener Potts, while he was serving as a soldier in World War II. They had two children, Alexander and Nadia, both born in London. In 1952, the family moved to Canada and she lived in Toronto ever since. Her husband Robert died tragically in 1964 at the age of 49. By then, Lucy had a well-established career as a French teacher and academic principal at the National Ballet School where she worked until her retirement in 1986. Making friends wherever she went, she was much loved by her students. She was also a key player in the special relationship developed between the National Ballet and the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow. With her enthusiasm for education, she went on to be very active in several later life learning programs. Her volunteer work at the University of Toronto earned her an Arbor Award. She was a particularly avid reader, a lover of her cottage life in the Kawarthas, and an enterprising traveler, visiting countries as diverse as South Africa, Iceland and Turkey. She leaves behind her son Alexander and daughter Nadia, and four grandchildren, Alexander, Joanna, Rachel and Natalya. Alexander and Nadia will receive Lucy's friends, former colleagues and students at the HUMPHREY FUNERAL HOME - A.W. MILES CHAPEL, 1403 Bayview Avenue (south of Davisville Avenue) from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 4, 2011. If desired, donations in memory of Lucy, may be made to the National Ballet School Foundation, 400 Jarvis Street, Toronto M4Y 2G6, contact Sandra Yoshikuni at 416-964-3780 ext. 2125. Condolences and memories may be forwarded through www.humphreymiles.com.