W. L. “Bill” Porter
W. L. “Bill” Porter passed away Sunday May 31, 2020, at his home.
Bill will be remembered as a loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather.
Graveside services only will be held at 10 a.m., Thursday, June 4, 2020, at Greenwood Cemetery with Dr. Chris Craig and Rev. Clayton Owen officiating.
Services are under the direction of Owens Memorial Chapel Funeral Home of Ruston. Bill was born in Sunflower County, MS, on August 2, 1931. He was the son of W.C. and Lucille Porter of Yazoo County, MS.
Bill is survived by his wife of 64 years, Rita Bennett Porter. Other survivors also include a sister, Annette Ricks of Greenwood, MS and a brother, Calvin Wayne Porter of Georgia.
Bill was the father of two daughters, Sharon Porter Shrell (husband, Jim Shrell) of Ruston, LA and Karen Porter Reuther (husband, Stephen Reuther) of Gulfport, MS. His grandchildren are Melanie Kay Shrell of Ruston, LA, Mindy Shrell Otwell of Biloxi, MS. Mandi Shrell McFarlain (husband, Michael McFarlain) of Sulphur, LA and Katie Evans Duhe (husband, Joey Duhe) of Gramercy, LA. He was a great-grandfather of Brayden and Brody Otwell of Biloxi, MS and Maeve McFarlain of Sulphur, LA.
Bill served four years in the U.S. Air Force as a reconnaissance photographer during the Korean War. After his service, he attended the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, MS.
After his marriage to Rita in 1956, he served as a General Manager of Coleman Motor Company in Yazoo City, MS.
Bill and his family moved to Ruston in 1974, where he was the owner and manager of Porter Chevrolet, Pontiac and Cadillac until his retirement in 1990.
Bill served as President of Ruston Chamber of Commerce, was on the board of Lincoln General Hospital, served as Motor Vehicle Commissioner for seven years and later served two years on the Louisiana Hospital Board. Bill was a Mason and a Shriner. He was a member of First Baptist Church of Ruston.
God saw you getting tired and a cure was not to be, so He put His arms around you, Whispered “come to me.” With tearful eyes we watched you and saw you pass away, and though we love you dearly, we could not make you stay. A golden heart stopped beating, hard-working hands were put to rest. God broke our hearts to prove to us, He only takes the best!
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to First Baptist Church, Ruston, LA, or St. Jude’s.
To leave an online memorial message for the family, please visit www.owensmemeorialfuneralhome.com
