Brian L. Porath

Brian L. Porath, 58, of Grinnell, died on Sunday, November 13, 2016, at Grinnell Regional Medical Center. Mass of the Resurrection will be held 10:00 a.m., Friday, November 18, 2016, at St. Mary's Catholic Church with Rev. Ron Hodges, pastor of the church, officiating. Music will be provided by Marilyn Kriegel, organist and St. Mary's Choir. Casket Bearers will be Colman Ditzler, Geoff Dietz, Dirk Lloyd, Nate Minnaert, Scott Schmidt and Trevor White. Interment will be at a later date at Hazelwood Cemetery in Grinnell. A rosary will be recited by the Knights of Columbus at 4:00 p.m., Thursday, November 17, 2016, at the church. The family will be present at the church from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday. Memorials may be directed to the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and sent in care of the Smith Funeral Home, P.O. Box 368, Grinnell, IA 50112. Brian was born on June 10, 1958, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Richard and Carol Starkey Porath. The family moved to Carroll, Iowa, where he attended schools and he later graduated with the Class of 1976 from Wheeling High School in Wheeling, IL. Following his education, he served with the U. S. Navy on the U.S.S. Macdonough. On October 1, 1988, he was united in marriage to Rachel Holder at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Grinnell. The couple made their home in Grinnell and he worked for the Frito Lay Company for several years. He also assisted Scott Schmidt with farming and Jim Buffum at the Grinnell Bowladrome. Recently, he worked as a truck driver for the Manatt Corporation. Brian was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus. He was an avid fan of the Iowa Hawkeyes, the Chicago Bears and the Chicago Cubs. His hobbies included camping, bowling, attending movies, playing poker and caring for his neighbor's driveways and lawns. He will be remembered by his family as a very devout husband, father and grandfather. Survivors include his wife, Rachel; two daughters, Leslee Porath of Grinnell and Sallie (Colman) Ditzler of Holiday Lake near Brooklyn, IA; four grandchildren, Boston, Nolan, Eva and Eli; his parents, Richard and Carol Porath of Mesa, AZ; two sisters, Vicki (Jim) Dietz of Lake Zurich, IL and Cheryl (Dan) Ritter of Des Moines, IA; as well as his brothers and sisters-in-law and numerous nieces and nephews.