Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Barbara was the daughter of the late Naval Commander William Hamilton Porter and Amy Russell (Manning) Porter. Ms. Porter lived in Ruxton and worked at Garrison Forest School from 1944-1987 where she taught math, tennis, and for a time a course on flying. (She and her brother Bill had their own plane at one time and enjoyed going on excursions together.) A recent letter from one of her students noted, “You cared for each of us unconditionally and wanted us to be the best we could be.”
Upon retirement, Babbie, as she was endearingly known by family, moved to her beloved Jamestown, Rhode Island where she was an active member in the community. She kept busy playing tennis (until the age of 87), served as referee at the local tennis club, and was a supporter of the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport. She loved boating, exercising at her favorite island gym, and driving the town’s ambulance.
Barbara will be remembered as someone always there to help with good will and sage advice to family, friends, students and community.
She leaves behind two nieces, Dorothy “Dolly” Porter Rowles (Bud) of Cape Cod, and Romeyn Bombanti (Jim) of Beaumont, California, a nephew, William “Skip” Porter, Jr., (Peggy) of Baltimore, Maryland, along with great nieces Vail Romeyn, Gretchen deCastellane, and Lauren Ketryn Martin and great nephews Hans deCastellane and Will Hamilton Porter and two great nieces Remington and Willow.
Babbie was predeceased by her dear brother William (Bill) Hamilton Porter who died on January 26, 2021, and two sisters Penny and Priscilla.
In lieu of flowers, the family would be honored to have donations made to the Jamestown Fire Dept., 50 Narragansett Ave., Jamestown, RI 02835 or St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, 87 Narragansett Ave., Jamestown, RI 02835.
For online condolences, please visit www.doanebealamesdennis.com . Please send condolences directly to Dorothy Porter- Rowles, 65 Sea Meadow Lane, Brewster MA 02631.
