George O. Porter Jr.

PORTER
"My daddy kept my mother and me laughing throughout our lives," Judy Porter Smith recalled of her father, George O. Porter Jr.

Porter, who retired on July 13, 1984, as an administrative specialist at Kelly AFB, died on March 22, 2011, at Sister Mary Hospice Center in San Antonio. He was 86.

His daughter described her dad as a "master of puns who could make a joke out of anything." Porter, husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather " had a wonderful sense of humor and was a person who truly enjoyed life. I couldn't have handpicked a better father."

With a droll and dry sense of humor, Porter voiced his humor again when he told a friend one time. "You know what the best thing about being a grandparent is? You get to get up and go home."

Porter's humor also won him and his late wife, Irene, an all-expense-paid trip to appear on the Steve Allen show aired on Nov. 14, 1963, in Hollywood. Having been a long-time fan of Allen, whose humor Porter identified with, Porter used that knowledge to write in 25 words or less why he wanted to see the Allen TV show. "I want to go to Hollywood to see the Steve Allen show because I couldn't see it if I went to Scranton, Pa.," Porter wrote in his winning contest entry.

He also was a member of the Toastmasters and won first place in a humorous speech contest and advanced to the next level of competition.

Porter was born on June 16, 1924, in Wilkes Barre, Pa.. He graduated from West Pittston, Pa., High School where he was a band member. Upon graduation, he joined the U.S. Army in 1942 and was a member of an Army orchestra, playing the bass fiddle. At an Army dance in Louisiana, he met the love of his life, Irene Doble of San Antonio who was working in a civil service position in Louisiana. They were married on Dec. 15, 1944, in De Ridder, La.

After the war, the couple moved to the Alamo City and Porter aced the civil service exam, leading to a long-time civil service career at Kelly. They moved to Boerne in 1972 and became very involved in the community. He was a member of Kendall Masonic Lodge 897, Eastern Star and the Boerne Radio Club. He and his wife, who died Dec. 8, 1994, were members of First United Methodist Church of Boerne and Good Sam RV Travelers Club and both were Eastern Star members. Self-described as a "joiner," he was active in the Highland Hills Lions Club in San Antonio and served as its president before moving to Boerne. Porter also served as deputy district governor of the Lions Clubs District 2A-2.

"He called himself GO Porter because his initials were G.O., and he loved to travel and go," his daughter said. The couple enjoyed traveling throughout the United States as well as in Europe.

In addition to his daughter, survivors are his son in law, Richard H. Smith of San Antonio; grandson, Stanton D. Smith of San Antonio; granddaughter Stacy Smith Eberwine of Round Rock and her husband, Brian; great-grandchildren, Braden and Kinsley Eberwine of Round Rock.

The family wishes to thank Geraldine Walker, R.N., and her staff for the wonderful care of Porter during the past two years and thanks to Sister Mary Hospice Center at Christus Santa Rosa Hospital for its care of him during the last few days of his life..

Donations can be made in the name of George Porter to Grace House, P.O. Box 781283, San Antonio, Texas 78278 or the charity of your choice.

A visitation will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, March 25, followed by Porter's funeral service at 11 a.m. Saturday, both at Vaughan's Funeral Home, 319 E. San Antonio, Boerne, Texas. To leave a message for the family, please visit www.vaughanfuneralhome.com Funeral Arrangements entrusted to: