Obituary: Porter, Edward Charles, Jr.
Age 91
PORTER,
Edward Charles, Jr.
Ed Porter, 91, passed away peacefully in his sleep at Guardian Angel Assisted Living Center on Thursday morning, May 5, 2016.
Ed was preceded in death by his wives, Mary Elizabeth Gladish (Betty) Porter and Helen Biggerstaff Porter.
Edward Charles Porter, Jr. was born in Custer, Washington on March 24, 1925 to Edward Charles and Merle Norman Porter.
His older sisters Harriet, Margaret, Marion, and Ruth also preceded him in death.
He graduated from Mt.
Baker High School in 1940.
He attended business college, and began working for Railway Express at the age of seventeen.
He joined the Army in 1944, and he signed up for paratrooper duty.
He was also chosen for clerical training to learn coding.
Eventually, he became personal secretary to General Gavin at Ft. Bragg.
Ed met Betty at Sunday School in Bellingham, and they were married August 8, 1946.
He worked for Great Northern Railway in Seattle, then worked with his dad in Bellingham, where Janet Merle was born.
The family moved to Pullman, and he continued his education at WSU.
When they moved to Spokane, he began work at Consolidated Freightways.
He was transferred to Kennewick, where James Edward “Jim” was born, and then to Hermiston, where Judith Ellen “Judy” came along.
Ed continued to work as a furniture mover, and Betty ran a Montessori school on Pines Road.
After retirement, both Ed and Betty worked selling Shaklee.
They enjoyed dancing together, wherever they found music and a dance floor.
Betty passed away in December of 2005.
Ed met and then married Helen Biggerstaff in August of 2010.
Helen died in September of 2015.
Ed moved into Holman Gardens, and most recently, Guardian Angel, in Liberty Lake.
Ed is survived by his three children, Jan Jones of Spokane Valley, Jim Porter, of Farmington, and Judy Rasmussen, of Liberty Lake.
He enjoyed nine grandchildren and sixteen great-grandchildren.
The memorial service for Ed Porter will be held at Spokane Valley Baptist Church, S. 1222 McDonald, on Saturday, May 28th at 2:00, with a reception following.
Family requests any monetary contributions be made to Spokane Valley Baptist Church or Habitat for Humanity, where he loved to volunteer.