Richard Kent Potts

Richard Kent Potts passed away peacefully August 6, 2025, with his wife and two sons by his side. He was born November 18, 1936, in Bryan, Texas.

Kent met his wife Patricia while attending a camp in Michigan. He was the lone Texan recipient of a Land Grant Scholarship, an honor he was awarded as the outstanding ag student in Texas, and she was there assisting at the Christian leadership camp. They struck up a conversation, both realized they were from Texas, and the rest is history.

They made their home in Bryan where they raised two sons, attended countless sporting events at Texas A&M and worked side by side at Brazos Valley Nursery & Florist.

His love of agriculture began at a very young age when he joined the Brazos County 4H Club. His many projects included swine, sheep, turkeys and chickens. While in 4H, he was a member of the judging team, which won state honors three consecutive years and one year he was the second highest individual in the national livestock judging contest. In high school, he was named Gold Star Boy of Brazos County and was a track star, winning first place in his division.

Kent graduated in 1959 from Texas A&M with a degree in Soil and Crop Sciences. He was named “King Cotton” his senior year at A&M. While attending A&M, he was nominated to “Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities”.

Upon graduation he served with the United States Army Reserve 420th Engineer Brigade, until he retired as a Colonel in 1989. He was awarded a Legion of Merit award for his service.

Kent bought a grass farm in 1954 and used the proceeds to help put himself through college. He and his brother Joel later bought an existing business, Brazos Valley Nursery & Florist, which grew into a thriving commercial landscape contracting business that they ran until they both retired in 2012.

Before retiring, Kent was active in his community, with his church and in the turfgrass industry, where he served as a regional director and President of the Texas Turfgrass Association. The Jaycees chose him as the Outstanding Young Man of 1967 in the Bryan-College Station area and he later served as the President of the organization. While president, he was instrumental in facilitating the distribution of the polio vaccine to students in Brazos Valley schools. He was awarded the Man & Boy award by the Brazos County Boys Club and served on the Board of Directors for First Bank & Trust, as well as the Vice President of the Bryan-College Station Chamber of Commerce. And most recently Kent served on the Bryan Parks & Recreation Board advisory committee.

The brothers bought property in Kurten for their cattle, horses and grass, which became a Potts family haven for many generations. Hunting, fishing, mudding, swimming, riding jet skis, weekend cookouts and family holiday gatherings, all hold fond memories with the Potts gang at the Farm. Kent passed his love for the outdoors on to his sons and grandchildren.

He was a devout Christian man, which often interfered with his love for Aggie and Dallas Cowboys football. Most fall weekends you could find Kent in his recliner with the game turned on. And sometimes he was even watching, when he wasn’t napping.

Kent and Patricia sold their long-time home in Bryan and moved to Watercrest a few years ago. Kent began growing flowers and vegetables around their apartment. It brought him great joy to cut his flowers and share with their friends in the Watercrest community.

Kent was preceded in death by his parents Dr. R C & Eva Potts and brother-in-law Andy Andersson. He is survived by his wife of 64 years Patricia Potts and sons Lance (& Tricia) Potts of East Bernard and Craig (& Carol) Potts of Bryan; brother Joel (& Judy) Potts, and sisters Linda Andersson and Jean (& Ray) Prewett.

He is also survived by grandson Seth (& Sara) Potts, granddaughters Jamie (& Jordan) Darr, Jayci (& Barrett) Janecek, Avery (& Conrad) Collins, Shea (& Devin) Chumchal, Wren Potts and fiancé Kyle Bryne and Marla Potts. Kent is also survived by 6 great grandchildren.

Visitation for Kent will be Sunday, August 10 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Callaway-Jones Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held Monday, August 11 at 1 p.m. at First Methodist Church in Bryan, Burial will take place at the College Station Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to the First Methodist Church Landscape Endowment Fund in Bryan (506 E. 28th St, Bryan, TX 77803).