Larry Joe Porter M.D.

Larry Joe Porter, M.D

FORT MYERS, FL: Larry Joe Porter, M.D, 74 passed away peacefully Sunday March 3rd in Fort Myers, Florida. He was born August 21, 1938 in Zanesville, OH to George and Gertrude (Irvin) Porter and grew up in Gratiot.

Dr. Porter attended Hopewell High School, Earned a BS (Cum Laude) from Muskingum College and an MD from The Ohio State University College of Medicine. He completed his residency at Charlotte Memorial Hospital in Charlotte, NC and practiced as an orthopedic surgeon and hand specialist in Zanesville, OH.

Dr. Porter was an orthopedic surgeon at Bethesda Hospital and President of the medical staff at Good Samaritan Medical Center, a member of multiple local and national medical associations and Team physician for Zanesville High School. He traveled to Georgetown, Guyana with a medical outreach program named "Project Dawn" where he donated clinical and surgical services and equipment to the people of Guyana. He was a novelist and published author of "Simple Changes: The Boomer's Guide to a Healthier Happier Life". He was a playwright, actor, director and producer with the Zanesville, Cambridge and Ft. Myers Community Theaters and as a trumpet, cornet and flugelhorn musician, he was a member of Dick Simcox Big Band, The Zanesville Jazz and the Southeastern Ohio Symphonic Winds. He was a member of the Elks Club, Jackson Lodge 85 F & AM and the Rotary Club. Most recently, he was a Professor of Anatomy and Physiology at Edison State College in Fort Myers. He was a restaurateur, model, golfer, gin rummy and crossword master, devoted friend, father and grandfather.

Dr. Porter is survived by his brother Douglas Porter; his children Amy Rouan, Katherine Owen, L.J Porter II; and his grandchildren, Derek Schmidt, Teo Porter and Porter Rouan. He was preceded in death by his brother Phil Porter.

Memorial Services will be held at Gratiot United Methodist Church on Saturday April 20th at 11 am.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Cypress Lake United Methodist Church Scholarship Fund or Building Fund at 8570 Cypress Lake Dr, Ft. Myers, FL 33919.