Obituary
James Edward Porter, P.E. (retired) 82, Ocala, Florida, passed away on May 20th, 2022.
Born to George and Francis Porter on October 1st, they lived in Wyandotte, Michigan, along with his 3 brothers,
William, John, and Jerry(deceased).
Graduated from Wyandotte High School, he earned a Civil Engineering Degree from Lawrence Technical Institute
in ’61 and continued his academic career for his Professional Engineering Certification.
He married his high school sweetheart, Magdalene Pischke (deceased), in 1961 and eventually raised his family
in an extensively renovated farmhouse in Hartland, Michigan. For the memories created from that plot of land, the buildings, the landmarks though humbly configured, will stand in his remembrance, and continue only to the test of time itself. James worked for 40 years in Oakland County, Michigan, starting as a Civil Engineer to becoming Chief Deputy Drain Commissioner. Retiring in 2002, He moved to Naples, Florida, with his wife Carol until 2016, then moved to Ocala, Florida, until his passing.
James’s testament to nature and family was evident in the thousands of pine trees planted on his land,
the vegetable garden he toiled in, and the flower gardens spread across the lot. Along with the house, he and
Maggie would host family reunions, CCD classes, Marriage Encounter meetings, and numerous Pinochle and
Bridge parties with their close circle of High School friends.
One of James’ hobbies was taking the product of the nature he revered and creating folk art carvings of small
statues. Most of them depicted a Santa Claus theme.
James will be placed to rest at St. Augustine Church, Howell, MI, on August 20th, 2022.
Funeral Services are to be held at 11:00 Saturday, with burial service and wake luncheon in the church basement
following thereafter.
James Edward is survived by his Spouse, Carol A. Porter, of 19 years. His brothers, William & JoAnn Porter, John & Dee Porter, and Jerry(deceased)& Marguerite Porter. His Children, Eric Porter(deceased), Karen Porter-Schultzel, Michael & Patty Porter, and James Porter & Chuck Sturgis, as well as Carol’s children, Sherri & George Huff, Patrick & Josephine McLeod, and Shawn & Shawn McLeod. He was a grandfather to 19 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be made in memory of James E. Porter to
Parkinson’s Disease Research at Mayo Clinic. Donations can be made by phone, online, or by mail:
Phone:
Please call 1-855-852-8129 to talk with a Benefactor Service Associate who can facilitate a secure gift over the
telephone.
Online:
Please visit https://philanthropy.mayoclinic.org/donatemc and complete the online form.
• Under “Designate my gift to…”, please select the appropriate fund from the provided list or select “Other”
and manually enter the correct designation.
• Under “Tribute Information,” please indicate the gift is in memory of your father (including name)
Mail:
Checks can be written directly to Mayo Clinic and mailed to the following address:
Mayo Clinic
Department of Development
200 First Street SW
Rochester, MN 55905
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