Michael Porter Gilbert, Arizona Obituary

Michael Porter

Michael E Porter was born on September 16, 1946 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He was the younger of two sons born to Henrietta Ruth (Koning) and Warner E Porter. Mike grew up in Sturgis where he kept busy helping at the family bakery (Tasty Pastries) where his love of burnt bagels and cookies began (the things that would not sell)! At their lakeside house, he could be found feeding his pet racoon, Sniffles, and throwing in a fishing line. His red Corvair moved him place to place, and at times the fun he had behind the wheel came with a few speeding tickets. He once disclosed the number 7: 7 tickets, 7 accidents, and 7 times being faster than the police! After graduation from Sturgis High School in 1964, he attended Arizona State University until he began his Navy service in 1966. It is during this time at ASU that he met the love of his life, Vickie “Sugar” Cartwright. They married on December 23, 1967 in Mesa, Arizona. His military service moved them to many states, including Rhode Island, where their first daughter Tammi was born. Mike and Vickie settled back in Tempe, Arizona in 1972 with their first daughter and soon welcomed their second, Tawna. Mike’s talents aboard the Puget Sound earned him employment at Hewlett Packard as a manager for over 30 years. He balanced work and family, always finding time to coach soccer or softball for his girls. If he wasn’t coaching, he was cheering from the stands throughout the dance, tennis, volleyball, soccer, and softball years. He encouraged his girls in so many ways and empowered them to be strong women. He gave his time and talents to his family, by remodeling to give his girls huge bedrooms with bigger closets, making incredibly detailed furniture, spending summers camping at Show Low Lake, shopping sprees for back-to-school clothes or decorating at Christmas with so many white lights. You could see him standing on the roof with a pool pole, barely reaching the top of the pine trees to ensure every branch twinkled.<br><br> <br><br>His giving and selfless nature as a dad was magnified as a grandpa. “Boppa”, as he is known to the grandkids, and “Mama” transformed their home into the best daycare around. Boppa made sure he could enjoy lunch and pool time with the grandkids each day they were there, and at times, would be the chauffeur service picking up from school. He enjoyed taking the boys to his barber for the VIP treatment and the simple things of straw fighting or blowing up the fast food bags like a balloon to pop. Thanks to the hands of his grandkids, his bookmark would magically find a new place in his book making his evening reading a bit more adventurous. He retired from Hewlett Packard in 2003, beginning Porter Appraisal Pros, giving him even more time at his home office… where the nerf darts were never ending, there was always a coin for the gumball machine, and the French toast mornings were sugar-filled and still spoken of today. If he missed an event of one grandkid it was only because he was away cheering on another. His bond to the grandkids continued to flourish as they grew older. Boppa would share stories from his past, including his experience as a rescue diver back in Michigan and his time in the Navy. The grandkids have heard stories his girls never did!<br><br> <br><br>There are many pictures filling family photo albums and vivid memories of Disneyland rides, Sea World shows, movie days, alpine slide rides, Easter egg scavenger hunts, road trips, beach vacations, fishing poles, quad adventures, and hunting expeditions. His talents, combined with Mama’s vision, transformed the family cabin over the past 30 plus years. Their fingerprints have touched every bit of the home in Whispering Pines. Mike was with Vickie every step of the way through her final years on this earth and he was surrounded by family as he made his journey to reunite with her. His family was blessed to have an incredible role model of a man, the best father, father-in-law, and Boppa. All that he gave created the most meaningful memories and will continue to bring his family peace.<br><br> <br><br>Give Mama a squeeze from us and both of you remember…we love you more.<br><br> <br><br>Mike is preceded in death by his wife, Victoria, parents, Ruth and Warner, and his brother, Pat. He is survived by his daughters Tammi (Mark) and Tawna (James), his 5 grandchildren, Michael (Laura), Zachary (Cassidy), Matthew, Jakob, and Megan, and a great-granddaughter, Lively. Mike would be pleased if you considered contributions to Hospice of the Valley. <br>
September 16, 1946 - July 27, 202209/16/194607/27/2022
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Obituary

Michael E Porter was born on September 16, 1946 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He was the younger of two sons born to Henrietta Ruth (Koning) and Warner E Porter. Mike grew up in Sturgis where he kept busy helping at the family bakery (Tasty Pastries) where his love of burnt bagels and cookies began (the things that would not sell)! At their lakeside house, he could be found feeding his pet racoon, Sniffles, and throwing in a fishing line. His red Corvair moved him place to place, and at times the fun he had behind the wheel came with a few speeding tickets. He once disclosed the number 7: 7 tickets, 7 accidents, and 7 times being faster than the police! After graduation from Sturgis High School in 1964, he attended Arizona State University until he began his Navy service in 1966. It is during this time at ASU that he met the love of his life, Vickie “Sugar” Cartwright. They married on December 23, 1967 in Mesa, Arizona. His military service moved them to many states, including Rhode Island, where their first daughter Tammi was born. Mike and Vickie settled back in Tempe, Arizona in 1972 with their first daughter and soon welcomed their second, Tawna. Mike’s talents aboard the Puget Sound earned him employment at Hewlett Packard as a manager for over 30 years. He balanced work and family, always finding time to coach soccer or softball for his girls. If he wasn’t coaching, he was cheering from the stands throughout the dance, tennis, volleyball, soccer, and softball years. He encouraged his girls in so many ways and empowered them to be strong women. He gave his time and talents to his family, by remodeling to give his girls huge bedrooms with bigger closets, making incredibly detailed furniture, spending summers camping at Show Low Lake, shopping sprees for back-to-school clothes or decorating at Christmas with so many white lights. You could see him standing on the roof with a pool pole, barely reaching the top of the pine trees to ensure every branch twinkled.



His giving and selfless nature as a dad was magnified as a grandpa. “Boppa”, as he is known to the grandkids, and “Mama” transformed their home into the best daycare around. Boppa made sure he could enjoy lunch and pool time with the grandkids each day they were there, and at times, would be the chauffeur service picking up from school. He enjoyed taking the boys to his barber for the VIP treatment and the simple things of straw fighting or blowing up the fast food bags like a balloon to pop. Thanks to the hands of his grandkids, his bookmark would magically find a new place in his book making his evening reading a bit more adventurous. He retired from Hewlett Packard in 2003, beginning Porter Appraisal Pros, giving him even more time at his home office… where the nerf darts were never ending, there was always a coin for the gumball machine, and the French toast mornings were sugar-filled and still spoken of today. If he missed an event of one grandkid it was only because he was away cheering on another. His bond to the grandkids continued to flourish as they grew older. Boppa would share stories from his past, including his experience as a rescue diver back in Michigan and his time in the Navy. The grandkids have heard stories his girls never did!



There are many pictures filling family photo albums and vivid memories of Disneyland rides, Sea World shows, movie days, alpine slide rides, Easter egg scavenger hunts, road trips, beach vacations, fishing poles, quad adventures, and hunting expeditions. His talents, combined with Mama’s vision, transformed the family cabin over the past 30 plus years. Their fingerprints have touched every bit of the home in Whispering Pines. Mike was with Vickie every step of the way through her final years on this earth and he was surrounded by family as he made his journey to reunite with her. His family was blessed to have an incredible role model of a man, the best father, father-in-law, and Boppa. All that he gave created the most meaningful memories and will continue to bring his family peace.



Give Mama a squeeze from us and both of you remember…we love you more.



Mike is preceded in death by his wife, Victoria, parents, Ruth and Warner, and his brother, Pat. He is survived by his daughters Tammi (Mark) and Tawna (James), his 5 grandchildren, Michael (Laura), Zachary (Cassidy), Matthew, Jakob, and Megan, and a great-granddaughter, Lively. Mike would be pleased if you considered contributions to Hospice of the Valley.

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Events

Aug
13
Service
Saturday, August 13 2022
10:00 AM
Falconer Funeral Home
251 W. Juniper Ave.
Gilbert, AZ 85233
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