Lloyd Pote

Lloyd W. Pote, age 96,, loving husband, father, granddad, and great granddad died peacefully on September 24, 2011 at his Fiske Hill residence of 55 years in Sturbridge, MA. Lloyd was born July 29, 1915 in Somerville, MA, the son of Professor Frank Walter Pote and Marguerite Hanna Pote. He was one of six siblings and is survived by his sister, Janice Cunningham, of Middletown, CT and one brother, Douglass Pote, of Phoenix, AZ, and predeceased by one sister, Urita Bentley, and two brothers, Ralph and Frank Pote.

 Lloyd’s life was his family. His devoted wife of 63 years, Eileen (MacNeil) Pote, preceded him in death by five and one half years in 2006. He leaves four children: Douglas Pote married to Hope (Bryant) Pote living in Chilhowie, VA, Jeffrey L Pote living in Tokyo, Japan, Barbara (Pote) Murphy married to Mark Murphy living in Sturbridge, and Bruce Pote married to Yaska Campos also living in Sturbridge.    

 Lloyd leaves eight grandchildren: Jeffrey R Pote attending Harvard Law School; Michael Pote, a recent graduate of University of North Carolina Law School, married to Jenna-blue Zaloom, living in Raleigh, NC; Austin Pote attending Virginia Tech; Tanner Pote attending High School in Chilhowie, VA; Greg Murphy a surgical resident at University of Connecticut Medical School, married to Emily (Bain) Murphy a graduate of Tufts University; Janlyn Murphy attending Northeastern University; Arthur Pote a recent graduate of University of Massachusetts living in Revere, MA; and Miranda Pote attending the University of Massachusetts.  He recently became great granddad to James Bain Murphy who was born July 5, 2011 to Greg and Emily Murphy.  He impressed upon all of his children and grandchildren the importance of hard work, education and personal integrity. These character traits manifested early in his own life and never lost their potency.

 Lloyd graduated from Medford High School in 1933 and graduated from Tufts University with a degree mechanical and electrical engineering in 1937. During WW II he worked at Boston Naval Yard building warships. After the war, Lloyd started CPC Engineering Corporation in Wakefield, MA in 1946 with his business partner of 35 years, Charles Ciaffone. CPC, a metal fabrications manufacturer, moved to Sturbridge in 1954 eventually reaching a size of 175 employees as the largest company of its type in New England. Lloyd and Charlie retired in 1981.

 Lloyd was known for his sound judgment, loving personality, quick smile, and gentle nature. He was a devoted civil servant who worked for the town of Sturbridge for 47 years in a variety of capacities including the finance committee, board-of-selectmen, and assessor. He served on the board of directors of Southbridge Savings Bank, on the Southbridge Airport Commission, and was an active member Sturbridge Rotary Club. He was known for his generosity and his many philanthropic efforts. He originated and maintains Engineering and Physics Scholarships at Tufts University where his father taught physics for over forty years.

 Lloyd wholly devoted himself to any task whether it was as mundane as weeding his raspberry patch (so his wife could make her famous home made jelly), or as exhilarating as obtaining his pilot’s license. Lloyd was an avid aviator who owned and flew two Beechcraft Bonanza aircraft, and worked many years restoring his antique Beechcraft Staggerwing biplane with good friend, Joe Brackett.  His longevity can be attributed in part to his purpose driven attitude and his legendary daily walks on McGilpin Road. He attended the Sturbridge Federated Church and the Holland Congregational Church over the coarse of his lifetime. He was greatly loved and will be missed by many.

 A memorial service for Lloyd will be held at Sturbridge Federated Church at 11am Saturday October 1st. Calling hours will be 4 to 8pm Friday September 30th at Belanger – Bullard Funeral Home, 51 Marcy Street Southbridge, MA 01550.