Michi Porter

Michi was born to Kazuma and Yoshiko Kano Kameyama in Osaka, Japan. Although she was born in a different era and a foreign land, over the years she would tell stories of her youth to her son and daughter who recognized her wisdom, strength and kindness that would serve her well throughout her 95 years. Even as a young girl, she was known to speak her mind to her father, which is antithetical to Japanese culture and terrified her brother, who expected punishment for them both. Her family had moved to Tokyo prior to the US entry to World War II. After the fall of the Japanese Military, she applied for reconstruction work and was assigned to a US Army-managed telephone switchboard as an operator. There she met Charles W. “Bill” Porter, Jr., an American soldier who was instantly smitten with her beauty and cheerful disposition. To win her hand, Bill knew he must endure the gauntlet of approval from her father, and the seemingly endless red tape due to military skepticism of “war brides”. In 1949, he earned her father’s praise as an honest man and, with the help of his commanding officer, won military approval for their marriage. When reassigned to the US in 1951, the arrival of Bill, Michi and their young son, Jerry, was front page news in Coos Bay, Oregon, Bill’s hometown. Their 60-year marriage was only broken by Bill’s passing in 2009. Michi previously survived the passing of her father, mother, and brother (Noburo). She is survived by her son, William “Jerry” Porter (Dorie) of San Antonio, TX and her daughter, Rose Marie Prevott (Steve) of Houston, TX. She has 5 grandchildren: Jennie de la Garza (Jon), William “Kip” (Normandy Jo) and Nate, also of San Antonio as well as David Langford (Jessica) of Los Angeles, CA and Steven (Naomi), also of Houston. They, in turn have been blessed with Michi’s 8 great-grandchildren: Jon David Jr. and Johanna, and Everly, Emerson Michiko and Penny as well as Bill, and Steven and Zoey. Michi rejoins her husband at the Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery, San Antonio, TX for their next adventure in a new era and another foreign place.