Richard “Dick” Porter, age 78, of Sweet Home, passed away August 28, 2007. He was born in Jordan, Oregon to William Grant and Clara Katherine (Jungwirth) Porter.

Richard enlisted with the U.S. Merchant Marines before completing high school, shortly after the end of World War II. He has lived in Jordan, Upper Calapooia River (during the Great Depression), Lebanon, where he attended Crowfoot Elementary and Lebanon High School, Springfield, and Sweet Home, since 1982.

Richard met Audrey Leola Rhoades while attending high school, and they were married May 27, 1948. Audrey passed away in 1987.

During his life he worked as a sailor, millworker, logger, farmer, construction worker, commercial fisherman, carpenter, boat builder, and truck driver. After retirement, as a hobby, he continued to farm gladiolas, daffodils, and garlic, and he also restored antique tractors.

Richard is survived by: close and constant companion, Claudia Butler, her two daughters and their families; Myra and Clara, who “adopted” Dick as their father; three sons, Ronald Porter of Seattle, Grant Porter and wife Lynne of Crawfordsville, and Robert Porter of Kihei, Hawaii; 11 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and an impressively large circle of close friends and relatives.

Memorial service will be at 2:00 pm Saturday, September 29, 2007 at the Sweet Home Elks Lodge, 440 Osage Street, Sweet Home, Oregon. Sweet Home Funeral Chapel is handling arrangements.

In lieu of flowers, please donate in memory of Dick Porter to the Sweet Home Division, Samaritan Evergreen Hospice, 1046 Sixth Avenue SW, Albany, Oregon 97321-1999.