Obituary for Jerry Porter

Ponca City Now - July 27, 2017 11:02 am

Jerry Dale Porter

April 8, 1958 – July 25, 2017

Jerry Dale Porter, age 59, of Midwest City, former longtime Kay County resident, passed away Tuesday, July 25, 2017 at his home.

Friends and loved ones may pay their respects at the funeral home on Saturday, July 29 from 9am-8pm and Sunday, July 30 from 1pm-8pm. The family will be present to greet friends from 6-8pm Sunday. A memorial ceremony to celebrate his life will be held at 11:00 am, July 31, 2017 at the Faith Tabernacle Church in Ponca City with Pastor Don Stanton officiating. Following the ceremony, honors will be provided by the U.S. Army Honor Guard where he will be laid to rest next to his parents at Resthaven Memorial Park. Arrangements are under the direction of Trout Funeral Home & Crematory.

Jerry started his journey of good times on April 8, 1958 when he was brought into the world to Dale Efton Porter and Josephine Mae Hook Porter in Boulder, CO. Shortly after his birth, he was brought to the Newkirk/Kildare area where he was raised around the family farm. As a child, he attended grade school at Kildare Elementary School. He was involved in the Newkirk Go Getters 4H club and played the trumpet in band playing at the national level even traveling to Jamaica for a performance before graduating from Newkirk High School in 1975. After high school he became trained as a paramedic and firefighter. The Ponca City Fire Dept. was his home for those days and nights for 9 years, during this time, he joined the Army National Guard as but one example of his love for our country. Later, the open road beckoned him and he began driving commercial trucks for J.B. Hunt and Glass Trucking through the 1990s and early 2000s. More recently, Jerry served our country as a federal employee at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City, where he was looking forward to retiring in 2020 and moving back to Ponca City. Jerry’s work was a reflection of himself, but his passions were mostly his family.

On Nov. 19, 1976 He married his first wife Laura O’Farrell. Their marriage blessed Jerry with his daughter Amanda. On February 27, 1983, he married Dawndy Stanton who mothered his children Leramy Kizziar, Fabron Porter and Nevin Porter. As life progressed for Jerry, he considered what was valuable, not only looking after his family, but spending quality fun times with his friends. No remembrance would be complete without mentioning his love of the open road on his Harley Davidson and his love of cooking and eating good food. Jerry was a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association and instilled a passion in his children to respect and cherish our freedoms. Jerry’s life was a life fully lived, perhaps not always virtuously, but with the wit enough to learn from poor choices and share his experiences with others. Patriotism, liberty and a love for the U.S.A. were deep parts of Jerry’s character. A self-described Conservative Libertarian, one didn’t have to wonder his thoughts on the way things are run (or should be) as he would be quick in providing his perspective on political matters at the local, state, and national level. His wit, sense of humor, and warm smile will be greatly missed by all who knew him. He truly cherished his time late in life that was spent with his children and grandchildren.

Survivors include his beloved children Amanda Porter-Cain and husband Jason, Leramy Kizziar and wife Kaleen, Fabron Porter and wife Bailey, and Nevin Porter all of Ponca City; cherished grandchildren: Braxton, Rhean, Jenzy, Alexis, Evan, Kobe, Culley, Roman, Raecyn, Carsyn, Kylie, Pazley, Pyper, and Nia, bonus parents Don and Norene Stanton as well as his best friends Cheryl Raper of Chandler, Wesley “Jethro” Reeves of Midwest City and John ” J.B.” Bishop of Midwest City.

He was preceded in death by his parents and first wife Laura.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Faith Tabernacle Church, 501 S. 5th Street, Ponca City, OK 74601.

Source: Trout Funeral Home