Sally Irene Potts

Sally I. Potts, born May 4, 1944, at Ohio Valley Hospital in McKees Rocks, passed away peacefully on August 21, 2026, with her family by her side at UPMC Canterbury Place Family Hospice. She was 82 years old, and she left this world the same way she lived in it; with strength, stubbornness, and the people she loved close enough to hold her hand.

Sally was a strong, loving single mother of two, and she carried that role with a kind of grit and tenderness that only certain women seem to be born with. She could be gentle, she could be tough, she could be stubborn as a brick wall, and she had a biting sense of humor that always landed exactly where she meant it to. If she teased you, it meant she loved you.

Sally enjoyed many vacations with her family be it trips to Ocean City or her love for the Happiest Place on Earth with many trips to Walt Disney World.  She was a lifelong Pittsburgh Pirates fan, the real kind, who stuck with them through every losing season and still showed up. Some of her happiest days were spent at the ballpark with her grandchildren, cheering and making memories that will outlive all of us. Football Sundays were her other ritual, spent with her son‑in‑law and her grandson Louie, yelling at and cheering for Coach Tomlin, like she was part of the staff.

Nothing mattered to Sally more than her family. Shopping trips were her favorite pastime; not because she needed anything, but because she loved simply being out with her daughter, her granddaughters, and her grandkids.  And if there was a bargain to be found, she’d sniff it out like it was a sport. The woman loved a deal.

Sally retired from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Welfare Department as a Caseworker III, a job she took seriously because she knew what it meant to help people who didn’t have much. For the past four years, she lived with her daughter and son‑in‑law in McDonald, PA, where she was surrounded by love, comfort, and the everyday moments that meant the most to her.

She is survived by her son Dennis D. Potts, Jr. (Jodi); her daughter Susan Hetzer and son‑in‑law Louis Hetzer; her grandchildren Lacey (Michael) Miller, Brittany (Travis) Greene, Louis E. Hetzer, Danielle Dougherty whom Sally thought as a grand-daughter, Jessica Houston, Michael Hetzer (Adam Costa), Nicholas Potts (Haleigh O’Brien), Holli Potts, and Maddi Maderic.  Each of whom she loved fiercely, proudly and equally.

She is also survived by her great-grandchildren William Mullen, Dominic Miller, Vincent Miller, Keira Miller, Louis E. Hetzer, Jr., Luciana Hetzer, Lincoln Hetzer, Hazel Houston, Philomena Greene, and soon‑to‑arrive Salvatore “Sal” Greene.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Doyle and Irene Piper, and her sister Janet Piper. She is survived by her brother Doyle Piper, Jr. and nieces and nephews; Mark Piper, Michelle Piper, Doyle Piper III, and Rachel Piper.

Her family will miss her more than words can carry, and they will remember her for her strength, her humor, her loyalty, and the way she made ordinary days feel extraordinary.

The family would like to give special thanks to Louis at Concordia and to the staff at UPMC Hospice (Lawrenceville) for their care and kindness to ensure Sally’s last days were filled with  comfort and kindness.

Friends will be received on Saturday, September 5, 2026 at R. D. Copeland Funeral Home, Ltd., 867 Fifth Avenue Coraopolis from 10 - 12 pm where a Funeral Service will be held at 12 pm. Burial will follow at Mt. Calvary Cemetery. 

“Ok Kid.”