Sigmund Richard Potocki
was born on Monday, May 15, 1933 in Hamtramck, Michigan to Zygmunt Potocki and Stella Potocki.
Zygmunt Richard Potocki, known throughout his life as Sigmund Richard Potocki, was one of six children.
Growing up, Sigmund attended St. Florens High School.
In 1950, during the onset of the Korean war, Sigmund decided he wanted to serve his beloved country, and enlisted in the United States Navy.
Sigmund attended boot camp in Great Lakes, Illinois and served honorably and dutifully as an EN2 aboard the USS Mattabesset / AOG 52, until his honorable discharge in 1954.
Sigmund then set out to pursue his love of science by attending Wayne State University in Michigan. Throughout the long hours and tedious work, Sigmund earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Science degree in Geology. It was during this time that Sigmund met Leta M. Wilhelm, while working on his Master’s thesis in the mountains of Wyoming. After much work on his part, Sigmund finally obtained permission from Leta’s father to marry her. Sigmund and Leta were married on June 7th 1962, in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
During this time, Sigmund had been very busy landing a position with Mobil Oil Corporation as a Petroleum Geologist. Sigmund’s first posting was in Tripoli, Libya to conduct petroleum exploration operations in the Sahara Desert. During this posting Sigmund was instrumental in the discovery of one of the largest oil field in Northern Africa and more importantly, in February of 1964, Sigmund and Leta were blessed with the birth of their first son, Russell Garth Potocki.
In 1969, while Momar Khadafi over threw the government of King Idiris, Sigmund was transferred to England. Sigmund quickly adapted his natural talent for geology from the sands of the Sahara to the murky depths of the North Sea, where he oversaw drilling exploration for Mobile. While posted in England, Sigmund was blessed with a second son, similarly named Sigmund. In 1975 Mobil transferred Sigmund to Dallas where he was involved with both geology and petrography. Sigmund retired from Mobil Oil in 1982, looking for more technical control and ability in the lab, Sigmund was promptly offered a job with Union Texas Petroleum where he established and ran one of finest Applied Stratigraphy departments in the world, until health concerns forced him to step down.
Sigmund then decided to utilize his abilities to read, write and speak Russian, Polish, Latin, and Arabic to better use by accepting a position with the International Petroleum Advisors Corporation in 1989. With his established mastery of petroleum geology, combined with his fluent Russian, Sigmund was selected to head a research team that was dispatched to the interior of Siberia, Russia to determine the viability of the Trajinsk and West Varagon oil fields. During this trip, Sigmund saw the need for an accurate and current translation of the former Soviet oil field logs. This spurred him on to create Potocki Geological, a company founded by Sigmund and his wife, which would correct and translate the old Soviet logs and give oil exploration in the region a much more accurate picture of the oil fields.
In the midst of all of these adventures, Sigmund was blessed with the birth of his granddaughter, Nicole Taylor Potocki and his grandson, Sigmund Richard Potocki III. Due to health issues, Sigmund lost his larynx and with it his voice, eventually his mobility deteriorated. Throughout all of this, his loving wife Leta tended to his every need and desire, ensuring his sharp mind was never at a loss for vast amounts of historic or scientific materials to read and learn. Sigmund eventually succumbed to his ailments and passed away on Sunday, May 22, 2005 at Triumph hospital in Sugar Land, Texas. Funeral Services were held at 12:00 P.M. on Tuesday, May 31st, 2005, in the VA Chapel at the Houston National Cemetery with Father Joe Eisenberg officiating and full Military Honors rendered by the V.F.W. District #4 Ceremonial Detail.
Throughout all of his journeys across every continent, the triumphs and set backs, Sigmund never lost his invaluable sense of humor, his love for his family, his belief in God or his razor sharp intellect. Sigmund had a deep and unending love of traveling, history and archeology. All of which truly sets him apart from the rest of humanity.
He was preceded in death by his brother Witold and is survived by his loving and devoted wife; Leta, his son Russell and granddaughter Nicole, his son Sigmund, and his daughter-in-law; Nazan,and grandson Sigmund III, his brothers; Dr. Dick Potocki and Richard Potocki and his sisters; Gene and Mary.
Sigmund will be missed by all who knew and loved him.
