William Alexander Porteous III

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William Porteous Obituary

PORTEOUS William Alexander Porteous III died on Thursday, March 30, 2006 at home in New Orleans, LA. Devoted husband of Sylvia Todd Porteous; beloved father (affectionately called ""Daddo'') of William Dockery Porteous and Alexandra Keith Porteous; loving father-in-law to Elizabeth Neimann Porteous; playful, doting grandfather (""Grandaddo'') to Isobel Douglas Porteous and William George Dockery Porteous; dear brother and friend to Anne Porteous Vickery. He was also the caring owner and savior of many stray dogs and one special cat, Manolete. Bill (called ""Billy'' in his youth) was born July 11, 1937 to William A. Porteous, Jr. and Lois Saunders Porteous, and grew up in Napoleonville and New Orleans. Mr. Porteous attended Labadieville Elementary and graduated from The Taft School, Princeton University and the Tulane School of Law, where he was first in his class. He served as Lieutenant Commander in the Coast Guard. For over 40 years, he was a lawyer and partner at Porteous, Hainkel and Johnson, a New Orleans law firm co-founded by his father. He was an adjunct professor at Tulane for more than 20 years and wrote a two-volume text for his course on maritime law. Mr. Porteous also practiced law--and handled many pro bono cases--in Thibodaux, Napoleonville and Labadieville. On weekends, he loved to boat and even camp in the swamps there. A champion oarsman at Princeton, he was also an avid sailor much of his life, competing in races of 5.5 meter boats on Lake Pontchartrain. He traveled the world and recorded his journeys in prolific photographs and videos. An eternal optimist with a keen intellect, a profound sense of responsibility, a love of philosophy and a quick wit, he was loved and adored by countless friends, family members, colleagues, clients, and students. A Memorial Service will be held Friday, April 21, 2006 at 3:00 p.m. (visitation at 1:30 pm) at Trinity Episcopal Church, 1329 Jackson Ave., New Orleans. In lieu of flowers, please send donations in his name to the Nature Conservancy of Lousiana at P.O. Box 4125, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70821 or the Rebuild New Orleans Fund of the Greater New Orleans Foundation at 1055 St. Charles Avenue, Suite 100 New Orleans, LA 70130.

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Published by The Times-Picayune from Apr. 18 to Apr. 20, 2006.

Memories and Condolences
for William Porteous

6 Entries

Carolyn Shields

May 2, 2006

I was an employee, actually Mr. John J. Hainkel's secretary about 10 years ago, and as I attended Mr. Hainkel's service fairly recently I was very happy to once again see Mr. Porteous. His speech was very heartfelt and beautiful and I hope that he received the same. I ran into Mr. Fitzpatrick yesterday whom I had not seen in ages and he gave me the news of Mr. Porteous. He was always so much fun to run into in the halls because he had such a wonderful sense of humor. That is what I remember most about him. As much as I am sure he will be missed, he will always be remembered. His wit was always a bright spot on a dull workday and in a law firm that's a pretty great accomplishment!

Raymond Boudreaux

April 21, 2006

I want to offer my condolences to the Porteous family in the recent death of Mr. wiliam Porteous.I was not in the same class as Billy,never the less he was well known to most of us while attending Labadieville elementary

in the late 40s.He was a well liked young man.I can still recall his mother driving a convertible

with the top down with all his friends and neighbors inside.He will be sadly missed

Daniel Johnson, Jr., MD

April 19, 2006

Heartfelt sympathy and condolences. I only learned of Bill's death this morning. He was a truly remarkable human being and I was very saddened by the news. He and the entire family are in my thoughts and prayers.

dale simeon

April 18, 2006

To the Porteous Family,

I was very deeply saddened to learn of the death of your husband, father and grandfather. My family had the pleasure and good fortune to be Mr. Porteous's clients for the past twenty plus years. He made us feel as though we were his family, as well as a part of our family. His patience and encouragement kept my parents grounded during the most difficult time of their lives. We thanked God for our aquaintance with him. He will be sincerely missed by many. I will keep you and yours in my prayers forever. Sincerely, Dale Simeon

Pat Deano Downs

April 18, 2006

My condolences to the Porteous family. I had the good fortune and pleasure to be employed by PTH&J for 10 years, and remember fondly Mr. P's patience, wit and intelligence. He will be missed, and you will be in my thoughts and prayers.

James McCann

April 18, 2006

"Whatsoever you have done for these, the least of thy brethren, that you have done for me."-- J.C. Say Hello to John and the rest of the boys.

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