Harry Porter Jr., MD

Harry and his wife, Carol, shared 40 wonderful years together. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend who touched the lives of those he met. Harry was passionate about family, food and fellowship, enjoying countless hours researching delicious restaurants and trying new culinary adventures. He embarked on an extensive genealogy endeavor, bringing distant relatives together through several events and capturing his ancestors’ rich history. He was brilliant, witty and fun, and was known as a challenging bridge opponent among his friends.

An active volunteer, Harry devoted his time to the Rotary Club, serving on the Board of Directors, numerous committees and as President of the Rotary Club of Vinings. He made significant contributions to The Georgia Rotary Student Program, and he and Carol hosted several students in their home. Harry took many international trips on behalf of Rotary and established relationships with clubs in Ecuador and Argentina.

Harry was born in Montgomery, Alabama in 1934, son of Harry Porter and Henrietta Tardy Matthews Porter. He grew up in Jackson, Mississippi, graduating in 1952 from Central High School, where he was cadet lieutenant colonel and battalion commander of the ROTC unit. He graduated from Austin College in Sherman, Texas, in 1956, and from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine in 1961. He interned at the US Naval Hospital, San Diego, California, and then served three years’ active duty as a deep-sea diving and submarine medical officer. He was medical officer of the gold crew of SSBN 610, The USS Thomas Edison, in 1963-1964, and made two Polaris missile submarine patrols.

Resigning from active duty in 1965, he completed residency training in psychiatry at the Institute of Living, Hartford, Connecticut in 1968, and in July of that year began the private practice of psychiatry in Atlanta, Georgia. He became a diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in 1971. He was president of the Cobb County (Georgia) Medical Society in 1975, and served for 8 years as one of the Georgia Psychiatric Association's two Representatives to the American Psychiatric Association Assembly of District Branches. In 1978 Harry was voted "Psychiatrist of the Year” by the Georgia Psychiatric Association. He was a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, later was named a Life Fellow, and finally a Distinguished Life Fellow. He retired in 2008 after 40 years of practicing psychiatry.

Harry became a Rotarian in 1990, and was named by his Rotary club "Rotarian of the Year" in 1997 and again in 2002. In 2002 he became interested in learning more about his family tree, an interest which developed into a full-blown hobby, with substantial genealogical research and the compiling of several volumes and booklets of information, pictures and documents about his extended family and their ancestors. He was the primary organizer and coordinator of Matthews Family Reunions in 2006 and 2009. Harry and his cousin, Joyce Faison, co-authored “Growing Up in Red Oak,” a book about the genealogy of a large branch of the Matthews family, published in 2010.

He is survived by his wife Carol James Porter; sons Harry Wayne Porter, and his wife Lisa, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, Lucien Matthews Porter, and his wife Jennifer, of Flower Mound, Texas, and Robert Burton Porter, and his wife, Jennifer, of Gaithersburg, Maryland; grandchildren Andrew Wade Porter, Jessica Kate Porter and Kyle Matthew Porter of Flower Mound, Texas, and Benjamin Clayton Porter and Jacob Burton Porter of Gaithersburg, Maryland; and numerous nieces and nephews that were very special to him. He was preceded in passing by his sisters Clara Porter Cavett (Mrs. James R.) of Jackson, Mississippi and Ann Porter Davis of Mobile, Alabama.

A memorial service will be held at a future date.

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate contributions to the donor’s favorite charities.