In Remembrance

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David Q Porter

June 1, 1930 - November 21, 2016

U.S. Veteran

Service Date December 9, 2016

A memorial service will be held on Monday, December 5, 2016 at First United Methodist Church.  Visitation will start at 10:00 AM with the service following at 11:00 AM.  In lieu of flowers, the family encourages gifts to the Alzheimer’s Association.

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David Quinby Porter died on Monday, November 21, 2016 at age 86 after a long journey with Parkinson’s Disease and Lewy Body Dementia. 

He was born June 1,1930 in Quincy, Illinois and served in the army during the Korean Conflict.  He attended St. Cloud State where he met Verna Smith.  They were married on June 2, 1956 in the Wesley Foundation House on campus.  Dave later earned a Master’s degree in Mathematics thanks to a National Science Foundation scholarship.

He was known as a very patient teacher as he worked with the junior high and community college students.  This led to a career as a college registrar in Iowa, New Hampshire, and the College of St. Scholastica.  He considered his greatest accomplishment raising three very caring and successful children. 

Other accomplishments included earning a pilot’s license at age 15, the award for Teacher of the Year at Muscatine community College, most valuable registrar at St. Scholastica and as a very masterful photographer. 

During his retirement he served as lay pastor at First United Methodist church (aka Coppertop), volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, and served on committees including Dismantling Racism.

The family will always be grateful for the loving care he received at Marywood as well as Hospice care provided by Essentia Health. 

He is survived by wife Verna, daughter Pam O’Donnell (Michael), sons Hal (Jeri), and Ross (Dr. Susan Coldwell), as well as grandchildren Megan O’Donnell, Alexandrea Abigail and Kasey Quinby Porter, Eli Porter, brother Alan (Tommie), niece Jennifer  Dion(D) and nephew Thom Porter, and great nephews Skylar, Steven, and T.J.

Preceding him in death are parents Horatio and Margaret, and sister Mary Porter Gardner (Richard). 

A memorial service will be held on Monday, December 5, 2016 at First United Methodist Church.  Visitation will start at 10:00 AM with the service following at 11:00 AM.  In lieu of flowers, the family encourages gifts to the Alzheimer’s Association.