Elder Dorothea (Potter) Melton

On October 21, 1946, as the southern winds stirred red maples, crepe myrtles, and pines, each beaming with the vibrant colors of autumn, a child was born to loving parents, Mary Etta and Monroe Lee. They named her Dorothea–from the ancient Greek words doron and theos, meaning “gift of God”–because they sensed, even then, the faith and strength of a pioneering spirit destined to serve.

She was raised with a strong belief in God. Strong-willed and inquisitive, her entrepreneurial journey began at an early age.  As a young child, she ventured to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to live with her paternal grandmother, Lucille Potter.  Her time up North introduced her to a life of opportunity and opulence.  Fur coats and gloves; dresses and gowns. She was treated as a princess and learned to embrace her inner and outer beauty.  Legend has it that she got to know Frank Lucas, brilliantly portrayed by Denzel Washington in a 2007 film. For her, Mr. Lucas was not an American Gangster; he was a complex human being who loved to help his people.  She later returned to Dothan, Alabama, to continue her education in segregated city schools.  By 1963, she began doing hair under the guidance of Mrs. Jessie Flowers Sheffield, a master beautician and civic leader. She graduated from the historic Carver High School in 1965.  She knew her calling so she studied, observed, and refined her craft—learning from seasoned beauticians, absorbing not only technique but discipline, excellence, and pride in her work.

When her sister, Lois, launched a career as a performing artist, she supported the family music entertainment business as its costume designer. Dubbed Little Lois and the Fabulous Caprees, her handiworks were on full display at their home base, The Soul Makossa and at residencies at The Capri Club and the Wiregrass Elks Club.  And what is more, when the band toured the chitlin’ circuit and played at NCO Clubs, they performed in trend-setting outfits crafted by a master seamstress. In the early 70s, she met and fell in love with James Abraham Melton Jr.  They married in May and together they built a life raising their children–Antonio, Zann, James III, and Nakessia–as her husband served our nation in the United States Armed Forces. No matter where they were stationed, theirs was a home filled with love and food and friends who became family.

By 1980, she opened her first beauty salon.  Business flourished—not by accident, but because of her consistency, her standard of excellence, and the way she treated people. Her salon was a place of service, conversation, healing, laughter, and transformation. She eventually opened multiple shops along that same corridor, creating opportunity for other stylists and building a reputation that extended beyond the chair. Over time she adapted and expanded her vision. She integrated a barber into her beauty shop—bringing together services and community under one roof. In every season and every location–whether M&M or Dott’s Style Shop–she remained innovative, resourceful, and committed to creating pathways not only for herself but for others. She knew the importance of succession planning and wisely passed down her passion and skill for the hair industry to her granddaughter, Gabrielle, who continues her legacy of beauty and innovation at The Vanity Bar.

As impactful as her professional life was, it was her faith that defined her.  She was a woman of God—fully, unapologetically, and joyfully so. She did not separate her faith from her daily life; she embodied it. Whether in church, in conversation, or in quiet moments, she lived as a witness. She praised with authenticity, served with humility, and believed with conviction.  She studied to show herself “approved unto God…rightly dividing the word of truth.”  And rightly divide the word she did!  Bible Teacher.  Founding Pastor. Church Elder.  She served “the present age [her] calling to fulfill, O may it all [her] pow’rs engage to do [her] Master’s will!” She loved people—deeply and intentionally. She encouraged others—consistently and without hesitation. She praised God—not just in the churchhouse, but in the everyday and in common places.

Elder Dorothea “Dott” Potter Melton IS a beloved cosmetology legend, matriarch, sister, aunt, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, great great grandmother, mentor, and friend.  She transitioned from this life to eternal joy and peace on April 4, 2026.  She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, James Abraham Melton Jr.; by her parents, Monroe Lee Potter and Mary Etta Matthews Potter; an infant brother; her siblings, James Earl Potter Sr. and Mary Lois Potter Barber; and her nephew and niece, James “Bubba” Potter, Jr., and Pitnita “T-90” Potter.

When we think of her, let’s remember the zeal with which she lived for 79 years. Think of her when you cook a pot of turnip greens, knowing that yours will never taste like hers. When we think of her, let’s remember how proud she was of her children and their children and their children.  Let’s remember how she would “keep it real” with you not to tear you down, but to build you up.  Remember how she’d say, “I’m grown in any country I go in; don’t make the old Dott come out.” Think of her when you hear “She’s a Bad Mama Jama” blasting at your next family cookout (Can’t you see her dancing away?). When we think of her, let’s remember how she entered eternal rest during Holy Week—between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday—a sacred crossing that reflects the very essence of the life she lived. Even in her passing, there is a testimony—one that reminds us that for the believer, the story never ends; it simply transitions.

Her memory will be cherished by her children Antonio Fitzgerald (Tammie) Potter Sr.,  Zann Melton (LaBrian) Stewart, James A. “Ko Jak” Melton III, and Nakessia Melton (Calvin Reynolds).  Her legacy will be sustained by her grandchildren, Tonika Potter (Quan) Davis, Antonio F. (Sada) Potter, Jr., Gabrielle Kappell Melton, Jamal Melton, Gabriel Kamryn Melton (Takara Smith), India (Nakia) Thompson, Tyson Kelly, Tia Kelly, Averi Potter (Jacari) Richardson, Brennan Melton, Brayden Melton, Jaiden Melton, and Jaydence Melton; her great-grandchildren, Tylen Curry, Chabrya Thompson, Taylen Davis, Antonio F. Potter III, Darrion Thompson, Kaden Holmes, Derrick Thompson, Chance Potter, Camreigh Thompson, Novi Thompson, Zari Reign Fryer, and August Richardson; her great great-grandchild, Cali Curry; her siblings and their spouses, Doris Jacqueline Potter (the late Rupert) Hickman, Yvonne Potter Lee, Janice Potter Burks, Nettie Potter (Elige/Bo Dilly) Scott, Vanessa Potter (Darryl) Wynne, Linda Walker, Brenda F. Walker, Sharon Walker, and Darion Walker, and her brother-in-law, Earlie D. Barber. Others who count it a blessing to have known her are her nieces, nephews, cousins, their spouses, and their children; her pastor, Archbishop Carl McComb; her dear friends, Mary Hayes and Gail Daniels; members of United Christian Fellowship International and New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church; alumni of Carver High School; the children and staffs of Kiddie Garden, Kiddie Garden Too, Kiddie Garden Prep, and ABC Academy; members of the Anglin, Barber, Burks, Griffin, Haywood, Hickman, Ingram, Jackson, Jones, Lee, Leake, Matthews, Melton, Page, Potter,, Smith, Stewart, Thomas, Tunstall, Walker, Williams, and Wynne families; and a host of friends and loved ones.

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