Nancy Lynn Porter

Nancy Lynn Reich Porter (1939–2026), of Holladay, UT, and Mesquite, NV, age 87. She was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, April 28, 1939, to Theodore Herman Reich and Bertha Payne Reich. Nancy passed away May 1, 2026, at her home in Mesquite, NV, while surrounded by family.

She was married to Gaylon Leon Porter in Salt Lake City, UT. Gaylon preceded her in death on October 12, 2005. Nancy remarried Roy Nelson in 2007 and enjoyed many more years with Roy living in Holladay, UT, and Mesquite, NV.

Nancy was born in Utah and lived her youth in Oakland, CA, before returning to Utah as a teenager. She attended and graduated from Olympus Junior and Olympus High School, where she met her sweetheart, Gaylon. Gaylon and Nancy had three sons and a daughter. Nancy was good at everything, but mostly at being a mother. She loved to cook and have family celebrations and enjoyed camping and boating most of her life. She was an excellent and beautiful water skier even into her seventies. She was a part-time resident of Overton, NV, where she enjoyed get-togethers and four-wheeling with her friends, “The Gang,” and boating on Lake Mead. Her many talents included sewing, quilting, and entertaining family and friends. She was adamant about her quality of life and, therefore, loved and spent many hours at the gym, walking, Zumba classes, and even fitness bootcamps. Roy and her friends in Mesquite affectionately called her the “Queen.” Her time in Mesquite was once again surrounded by dear friends. She had a way of making close friends everywhere she went, and her time in Mesquite was one more chapter in a life well-lived. Her life was dedicated to serving her first husband, Gaylon, and family, and after her first husband passed away, she found love once again and married Roy Nelson and increased the size of her family with his two children. They spent 19 years together living in Holladay and then later in Mesquite.

She is survived by Roy Nelson, currently living in Mesquite, NV; children: son Randy Gaylon Porter of Sandy, UT; Gary Dee (Karyn Ekblad) Porter of Bountiful, UT, and Fredericksburg, VA; and Cindy Lynn (Topher) Day of Madison, WI. She was preceded in death by Gaylon and her son, Robert Ray Porter. Her legacy lives on in her three children, Randy, Gary, and Cindy, including 12 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.

Graveside services will be held Saturday, May 16th, at 10:30 am, Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park and Mortuary at 3401 S. Highland Drive, Salt Lake City, UT. We invite family and friends to leave condolences or memories at www.wasatchlawn.com