FRANCIS POTTENGER Obituary

DR. FRANCIS M. POTTENGER III Dr. Francis M. Pottenger III, Professor Emeritus at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa's College of Education, died on January 4, 2023, at the age of 94. Pottenger served on the College of Education science and curriculum faculty for 50 yearshis contributions and publications in science curriculum design are numerous. He was a mentor, a colleague and a pillar in the Curriculum Research & Development Group (CRDG) and the University Laboratory School 'ohana. Born in Pasadena, California in 1928, Pottenger was the eldest of four siblings, all of whom performed chores for their household, the family farm and dairy, and what was then the Pottenger Sanatorium in Monrovia, California. Finishing high school in 1945, Pottenger explored the world working as a deckhand on a Dutch Merchant Marine steamer. Upon his return, he enrolled at Otterbein College where he met the love of his life, Larma McGuire, whom he married in 1950. While raising their four children, they worked side-by-side, with Larma serving as editor-in-chief of numerous publications and presentations. When she passed away in 2020, the couple was just a few months short of their 70th anniversary. After earning his BS from Otterbein, Pottenger was subsequently drafted into the Army during the Korean War and served in Japan where he taught math courses to US soldiers and discovered his passion for inquiry in education. Pottenger would go on to earn an MEd from Xavier University, an MS from New Mexico Highlands University, and a PhD from Claremont Graduate School. In 1966, Pottenger was recruited to the University of Hawaii by friend and mentor, Dr. Art King. In the 1970's, Pottenger co-founded the Pacific Circle Consortium, an initiative in international co-operation between educational research and development institutions in the Pacific Region. Among his many professional roles, Pottenger was the creator and director of the Foundational Approaches in Science Teaching (FAST) project from 19661983. This project marked the beginning of science education research at CRDG, and its legacy of innovative approaches and practices continues today. FAST would become the core philosophy for consequent science programs, including the Developmental Approaches in Science and Health (DASH) and Hawai'i Marine Science Studies projects, which Pottenger also directed. Using curricula from these programs, he helped to create integrated STEM education programs with educators in Japan, Korea, Israel, Micronesia, Slovakia and Russia. In 1984, Pottenger joined the COE Curriculum and Instruction graduate faculty, followed by a joint appointment as professor of education and public health. He retired in 2015 and was designated professor emeritus in 2016. Pottenger is survived by his four children, 11 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, and his sister, Margaret. A Celebration of Life will be held at Kilohana United Methodist Church in Niu Valley on Monday, July 3, at 10:00 a.m., with visitation from 9 a.m. Private inurnment with Military honors alongside the love of his life and editing partner, Larma Jean McGuire Pottenger, will be held at the State of Hawaii Veterans Cemetery later in the week.