Barbara Jean Porter

Barbara Jean Porter, 86, of Litchfield Park, AZ passed away July 5, 2016. She was born in Fort Wayne Indiana on April 10, 1930 to Herbert and Lola Miller.  Barbara is a graduate of North High School and Arizona State University.  She met Harold W. Porter at Arizona State University and they were married on March 28th of their senior year.  At ASU Barbara earned her degree in Elementary Education and was selected as a member of the 52 Club.  She was also active in the Alpha Delta Pi Sorority.  Barbara’s first teaching experience was in Biloxi, Mississippi Schools while Harold was in the Air Force at Kessler Air Force Base.  She later taught at Peoria Elementary, Benson Elementary and at Flowing Wells Elementary in Tucson, Arizona.  Her last 22 years were at Litchfield Elementary where she taught third grade.

In her early years of teaching third grade, Barbara had an excellent student teacher who requested to do her student teaching with Barbara. Denise Espil graduated from Northern Arizona University, married and moved to South America.  However, when she heard that Barbara was planning to retire; she came back to Litchfield Park to attend her retirement dinner.

Following Barbara’s distinguished 35 year career as an Elementary teacher which included being a finalist for Arizona Teacher of the Year, she taught at Grand Canyon University under Dr. Patty Horn.

Barbara and Harold and often members of the family spent many happy days at their second home in the White Mountain Summer Homes area in Pinetop, Arizona. The home is filled with Barbara’s creative touch.

In addition to being a superb and caring teacher, Barbara was invited to join PEO, (a Philanthropic Education Organization) in 1989. As with any challenge she gave this organization her heart and soul, however, her family meant more to her than all other obligations.

Harold and Barbara had two sons, Darryl and Curtis (Kerri), three grandchildren, Dominique (Justin) Unverzagt, Samantha Porter, and Curtis Grant Porter and one great-grandchild, Anastasia Unverzagt. She was preceded in death by her father, Herbert Miller and her mother, Lola Miller.

Mom you will be missed every day of our lives for as long as we shall live.

A memorial service will be held 11:00 am, Saturday July 16, 2016 at The Church at Litchfield Park, 300 N Old Litchfield Rd, Litchfield Park, AZ 85340.