Obituary
John Porter, former president of IFI
John Porter, founder of Porter’s
Fine Dry Cleaning in Shreveport, LA, and a past president of
the International Fabricare Institute, died June 30 in a
Houston, TX, hospital. He was 79.
 | ||
Although the late 1960s were
polyester-plagued years for drycleaners, Porter was undaunted.
One of his employees from those early years, Rev. Steven
Carraway, told the Shreveport Times, “We weren’t
even allowed to say the ‘p’ word.”
Carraway was one of many students who
worked their way through college at Porter’s Cleaners
over the years. On Wednesday, July 2, he delivered the message
at the funeral service for Porter at Broadmoor United Methodist
Church in Shreveport. Hundreds attended the service. The
previous night, hundreds more waited in long lines to enter
Osborn Funeral Home for the visitation.
The public sentiment was a tribute to
Porter’s influence and involvement in the community. Over
the years, the business grew to include eight stores with 135
employees and the Porter name became well known throughout
Shreveport and Bossier City.
But the company was known as much for its
community service as for its “fine dry cleaning”.
Porter’s has sold tickets for the Dream Home fund-raiser
supporting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and has
collected teddy bears, eyeglasses and canned foods for the
Shreveport Lions Club. Over the past 15 years, the company
collected more than 75,000 coats in its Coats for Kids drive.
Porter served on the boards of the American Red Cross, Goodwill
Industries, the United Way, the Louisiana Methodist Foundation
and the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum.
In an article in the July 1 Shreveport
Times headlined “Business icon, city leader dies,”
Gary Pilcher, manager of the Portico Center store for
Porter’s Cleaners, said, “His family, his church
and giving back to the community — that’s what was
important to him. He knew all the employees by name and many
customers by name.”
Long-time friend Forrest Dunn,
administrator of the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum, told the
Times that Porter was “the kind of friend everyone wants,
and hardly ever finds. The whole community lost a friend
because of his devotion to the city. His track record was the
best. But he would be the last one to tell you that.”
Porter and Dunn were friends for over 50
years, dating back to when both worked as salesmen. Porter sold
flooring before starting the drycleaning business.
Porter’s community service
didn’t stop for the funeral. During the week leading up
to the Fourth of July, Porter’s was busy selling flags to
customers for the holiday. Each flag sold generated $2 for the
Boy Scouts; the store took no profit.
“It’s business as usual.
That’s the what he would have wanted,”
Porter’s son, Mark, told the Times.
After Mark took over daily operation of
the business in the 1990s, Porter traveled with church members
to Ekaterinburg, Russia, to help establish a church and
outreach ministries. He also served in various leadership roles
in the United Methodist Church.
He received many awards over the years,
although he seemed embarrassed at the attention his good works
brought him. Last year, the Optimist Club of Shreveport gave
him the Mr. Shreveport Award. He also received the Good
Samaritan Award, the NCCJ Award, the Liberty Bell Award and the
Jefferson Award.
Porter served as president of IFI in
1986-87 and was a regular attendee at state and national
conventions until poor health curtailed his activities in
recent years.
Survivors include his wife of 55 years,
Jane Ellis Porter; daughters, Anne Cathcart and Carol
MacKenzie; son, Mark; and their families, Dale, Chris, Darla
and Michael Cathcart; Steve, Lee Michael and Kelly MacKenzie;
and Heather, John, Caroline and Melissa Porter.
The family requests memorials be made to
the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Volunteers of
America Pregnancy Services or Louisiana United Methodist
Foundation.
 |
