Date of death: 1/7/2017
Saint Meinrad Class: SPH 1963
Clement B. Potelunas, Jr., 70, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, passed away Jan. 7, 2017, at his home.Born in New York to Dr. Clement and Grace Potelunas, Sr.; he was the eldest of six.He spent his childhood in Wilkes-Barre and Scranton, Pennsylvania. He received a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering from Penn State and a Master of Science degree from University of Idaho.In 1972, he married Marie Trunzo, and they moved to Toledo, Ohio, where he began his career as the environmental engineer for Jeep Corp. In 1992, they moved to Idaho Falls, where he worked for Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, Idaho National Laboratory and Portage Environmental. Starting in 2005, he worked as a consultant for FEMA.Clem was a man of many interests. He loved photography, painting, woodcarving, ham radio, archery, but nowhere was this more evident than his love of shooting sports. Through his varied interests and hobbies, he touched and enriched the lives of so many people. He never failed to take a moment to share his knowledge. People were drawn to Clem, awed by his intelligence and intrigued by his journeys through life, and walked away forever changed by his unparalleled love for making lifelong friends with everyone he met.His memberships included: Knights of Columbus Council 1663 and George J. Keller Assembly 187, where he was a past Grand Knight and past Faithful Navigator; Fort Industry Masonic Lodge and Shrine in Toledo, Ohio, as a member of the Highlander Bagpipe Band; and Eagle Rock Lodge 19 in Idaho Falls, Idaho.Surviving are his wife, Marie; children, Daria of Boise, Idaho, Peter of Tempe, Arizona, and Anna of Phoenix; sisters, Maryanna Carp of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Dr. Margaret Campbell of Dunmore, Pennsylvania, and Grace Byrne of Scranton, Pennsylvania; brothers, James of Moscow, Pennsylvania, and Joseph of Mountaintop, Pennsylvania; and nieces and nephews.A celebration of life will be announced at a later date. Arrangements made under the direction of Buck-Miller-Hann Funeral Home, Idaho Falls, Idaho.