Dr. John Rogers Porter

Dr. John Rogers Porter, 82, of Severna Park, Maryland passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Thursday April 16th. He was preceded in death by his parents John McCombs Porter and Vera Rogers Porter.

He is survived by his devoted wife of 59 years Gloria Laraine Worthington Porter. He is also survived by his sister Nancy Vose Porter Dougherty. John and Gloria have 3 children: Katherine Porter Reilly (Dan), Roger Porter (Jennifer), and Bryant Porter (Jessica). They also have 7 beloved grandchildren: Daniel Reilly, John Patrick Reilly, William Porter, Ryan Porter, Casey Porter, Elizabeth Porter and Jamison Porter. He is also survived by his nephew John Dougherty, in addition to his many friends and extended family members.

John was born in Cambridge, MA before growing up and attending school in Riverside, Illinois. He was an active member of the Boy Scouts of America, achieving the rank of Life Scout. In his teenage years he became a lifeguard, camp counselor, and a water ski instructor. Always active in sports, he enjoyed baseball, basketball and track. Cross country running became his most successful sport, earning him a scholarship to the University of Maryland. He remained an avid runner throughout his life, even willing to tackle the hills of New Hampshire. While at Maryland he was an active member of Theta Chi Fraternity. As a lifelong Terps fan, he regularly attended football and basketball games with his father and children.

While on a summer job lifeguarding at Brooke Manor Country Club, John met the love of his life Gloria Laraine Worthington. After much perseverance he convinced Gloria to accept his proposal, and in 1966 they were married at Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Washington, D.C.

After graduating from Maryland in 1965, he moved on to the University of MD, Baltimore College of Dentistry. He bankrolled his way through much of his education by owning and operating coin inserted carwashes where he had to shovel the coins into bags and roll all the quarters himself. He graduated with his D.D.S. Dentistry in 1969 and Orthodontics in 1972. He practiced Orthodontics in Severna Park, MD throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s.

The entrepreneurial spirit of his youth never left him. Over the years he was a part-owner in restaurants, muffler shops, start up companies and many other endeavors. In the late 1980’s he left orthodontics and became a full-time commodities trader/advisor. He was a pioneer in applying technical analysis to commodities and futures which resulted in a large following. Intellectual curiosity was the hallmark of his career.

As he and Gloria grew their family, he became a dedicated father. Never missing a game or school activity, he gave his time to their interests, often coaching youth sports for the Greater Severna Park Athletic Association. He eventually became a world class doting grandfather, best known for his trick of pulling candy and coins from his grandchildren’s ears. On summer nights, he could often be spotted sneaking an extra scoop of ice cream into the children’s sundaes. Their beloved “Awpop” relished learning about the accomplishments and milestones of his seven grandchildren.

The thing he remained fondest of was a lifetime of summers on Lake Sunapee in New Hampshire. John and Gloria spent every summer with family, friends, and neighbors at the family home on Blodgett’s Landing. As far as he was concerned, you could never spend enough time with the good folks up country or enjoying a sunset over the crystal-clear waters of the lake.

John will be remembered for his love of family, his gentle and kind demeanor with patients and friends, and his ability to see the lighter side of life through his playful teasing and clever wit. We were blessed to have him in our lives, and he will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.

A memorial service will be held at 11:30 am on Friday, June 19th at John M. Taylor Funeral Home, 147 Duke of Gloucester St., Annapolis, MD 21401 with a reception to follow.

The family would like to thank all of the dedicated staff at Brightview Annapolis that cared for John, and continue to care for other family members, for their exceptional professionalism and support over the last several years.

In lieu of flowers please consider a gift to the Lake Sunapee Protective Association (https://www.lakesunapee.org/support) or a charity of your choice.