Jim Porter

James H. Porter died January 13,2023 following a lengthy illness.  He was 75.  Jim was born in 1947 to George and Violet Porter and spent most of his life as a resident of Terrace Park, Ohio.

Jim’s love for animals began as a child, caring for his pony Topsy and a menagerie of pets, and later developed into a rewarding career in veterinarian pharmaceuticals. He graduated from Mariemont High School, where he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972. Jim used scholarships for football and wrestling to earn a degree in biology at Defiance College, and was inducted into DC’s Hall of Fame in 2019. As a college student, he earned room and board as a firefighter for the city of Defiance. While in Defiance, he met his future wife, Sue, whom he married in 1972. He was a loving father to their three daughters: Julie (Erick Koehler), Katie (Gretchen Johnson) and Caroline (Joshua Moshier); and a fun-loving grandfather to: George, Sadie, Porter, Sam, Lucy and Davis Koehler, and Rae Porter. Jim retired from Merck in 2015, having earned national and international awards in his industry.

Throughout his life, he invested in his community in a variety of ways, from annually decorating a 65-foot Christmas tree to developing Terrace Park’s Orchard Hill Subdivision. Jim regularly volunteered at Armstrong Chapel, coached his daughters’ teams, and enjoyed motorcycles, boating and golf. He is deeply beloved by his family and friends, whose first word to describe him is typically “kind.”  His professional success was attributed  not so much to what he said but to how well he listened

In addition to his wife, children and grandchildren, Jim is survived by his sister Betty (John Fortune) and brothers Tom (Susan), Dan (Anna), Bob (Kim), Bill (Amanda) and Richard (Meg); in-laws Tom and Jackie Mangas, Jim Mangas, Judy and Bob Damman, Linda and Doug Brelsford, and John and Ann Mangas; 24 nieces and nephews and 27 great nieces and nephews.

A visitation will be held on Friday, January 20, 2023 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Armstrong Chapel United Methodist Church -5125 Drake Rd, Cincinnati, 45243. A funeral service will begin at 11:00 AM. Burial will follow at Armstrong Chapel Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Humane Society for Hamilton County or Armstrong Chapel. (Links at bottom). Evans Funeral Home in Milford, Ohio is serving the family.