Dr. Mitchell Lee Potvin, Jr. was born on July 30, 1934, the second of four children of Dr. Mitchell and Annabelle Potvin. He attended grade school in Larchmont, New York. In 1947, the family returned to Hudson Falls, his father’s hometown. He graduated from Hudson Falls High School in 1951. A graduate of the College of Holy Cross with a BS degree, he went on to receive his DDS degree from the University of Buffalo School of Dentistry. He served two years in the United States Army as a general dentist, where he attained the rank of Captain. Dr. Potvin subsequently returned to Hudson Falls and took over his father’s dental practice. He practiced for 35 years, retiring in 1996.
Dr. Potvin has always expressed tremendous pride in Hudson Falls and has been very active in the community. He is a member of The Knights of Columbus, and for the youth of the community he helped form a program in the 1970’s. He was a member of the Hudson Falls Recreation Commission for more than 20 years and is a former president of the Hudson Falls Kiwanis, where he was a member for over 30 years. Dr. Potvin was also a village trustee and is presently a member of the village planning board. He is also presently serving on the board of directors for St. Joseph’s House of Grace, a non-profit home for the dying in Glens Falls.
Dr. Potvin is also a former president of the Upper Hudson Dental Society and is a member of the American Dental Association. During his 35 years of practice, he annually hosted several primary grades at his office for dental health education. For the past five years, Dr. Potvin has volunteered as a mentor in grades 1 and 3 at the Hudson Falls Primary School.
Dr. Potvin married the former Norma Hart of Hudson Falls. They have six children: Amy, Mitchell, Stacy, Joseph, Cheryl, and Renee. His two sons are continuing the practice of dentistry in the community and his four daughters are a special education teacher, a physical therapist, an attorney and a school psychologist, respectively. He is also the proud grandfather of 15 grandchildren.