Ross F. Porter

1924 - 2004

Ross Francis Porter, 80, a loving husband and father, died Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2004, surrounded by his family in an Arlington hospital.

Memorial Mass of Christian Burial: 10 a.m. Monday at St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church in Arlington. Rosary: 7 p.m. Sunday at the church.

Memorials: American Lung Association or charity of choice.

Ross was devoted to his family and his professional responsibilities. He and his wife, Eleanor, celebrated 55 years of marriage last fall. They moved their family from their native Rochester, N.Y., to Arlington in 1971 when Ross' company, Hickok Manufacturing, was purchased by the Tandy Corporation. Ross was an accountant and worked nearly 58 years continuously for several Tandy subsidiaries, including the Bombay Company, where he still worked part time at the time of his death.

Ross held deep friendships with many of his colleagues, who span several generations and are testament to his ability to connect with people of all ages and backgrounds.

As a young man, Ross studied in the seminary and remained a spiritual man throughout his life. He was a man of wide interests. He had a curious mind and read avidly to satisfy it. Music meant a great deal to Ross, who, as a boy, sang in a choir. He passed this love of music on to his children through hymns, folk songs and popular songs from his youth.

He had a natural ability for music and enjoyed playing the piano and, later in life, the harmonica. During his illness he took comfort in listening to music, comparing it to the warmth of a good blanket.

Survivors: In addition to his wife, Eleanor, Ross is survived by children, Tim of Mill Valley, Calif., Barbara Catrett of Takoma Park, Md., Mary Lou Saxon of Dallas, Eileen Ferbend of Arlington, Katie of Toledo, Ohio, Eleanor Hisey of Arlington, Tom of Bozeman, Mont.; grandchildren, Sarah, Maggie, Joe, Daniel and Tim; and brothers, John of Mashpee, Mass. and Joe of Huntington Beach, Calif.