Goodbye, Grandma

The following piece is written by my grandpa, Edwin Arnold Porter, and my cousin, Cassie Lopez.

In the early morning hours of Thursday, 14 March 2019, our beloved Dorothy Genevieve Porter died peacefully in her sleep at home.

Dorothy was born on 5 February 1926. She was adopted by Adolph and Harriett Hoven and grew up in Tillamook, Oregon. She married Arnie when she was 20 and he was 19. They shared nearly 73 years of marriage, as an Air Force family. They lived across four countries and moved fourteen times, having three kids along the way- Steve, Lisa and Julie.

She studied music at Northwest Christian College and became a Church Musician. She sang, played the piano and organ and conducted prize winning choirs almost everywhere the family was assigned. 

In recent years Dorothy suffered from dementia which was a challenge for us all, and we thank everyone who supported our family during this time. We know she is at peace now. 

We will miss Dorothy so much and it’s hard to believe she is gone. We will always cherish memories of her hand drawn Angels that were on every Christmas card, her extensive doll and art collections from around the world (each with its own story), and her famous potato salad and cranberry jello sauce at get-togethers. Even more, we will miss the sense of comfort and home she provided to not just our family, but also to those outside of our family. It was common to have not just family and friends, but also friends of friends, and sometimes even strangers sharing a meal with us. One of several foster children once said we should have a sign on the door, ”Come in and stay if you need to.” 

Dorothy was a friend of many Catholic Priests one of whom said to her husband, “The best thing about you is Dorothy.” And she served authentic kosher meals to Orthodox Rabbis. 

This sense of love and kindness will always stay with us. 

If you would like to pay your respects to Dorothy, we will have a memorial service on Tuesday, 19 March at 3pm at Heritage Presbyterian Church. A reception will be held at the church following the service.  A burial will be at Arlington Cemetery at a later date.

Those who wish to make a donation in memory of Dorothy may do so by sending it to Heritage Presbyterian Church Music Fund.

With love from the extended Porter family