Evelyn’s Obituary Evelyn ‘Bertie’ Porter, 86: Grew up on Wrightsville Beach, mother of 4 children lived in Atlanta for the past -55 plus years. Once committed to a friendship or a garden, Bertie Porter was all in. Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina was where she grew up after being born in the great depression.
As a talented young woman, she dreamed of being an actress and boy did she look the part. Bertie was introduced to John Knox Porter by her Brother Bob Lewis while they were both in Officer’s Candidate School at Quantico for the Marine Corp in the 50’s while Bertie attended Elon University in North Carolina. She married that Marine and the handsome couple moved to Atlanta, traveled the world and went on to have 4 children.
Tragedy struck the family in 1964 when the couple’s 6-year-old daughter Evy contracted leukemia and passed away. They went on to have 3 more children and she worked at Lakeside High School in Dekalb County while her children attended high school. Another tragedy hit the family in 1980 when her husband and former Marine John K. Porter passed away suddenly at 50 years old.
Bertie went to work and ultimately became an executive with Arby’s Incorporated setting up franchises around the US. “My Mom was an amazing woman. When Dad passed away, she went to work and made a career for herself and raised 3 children.
We all had a roof over our head, graduated from college and have gone on to be productive people” said John K. Porter, Jr. her oldest son. “The most significant gift that we got from Mom was her faith. She was a strong believer and all of us would have been in big trouble if she had not kept the faith during those times”.
“Ms. Bertie looked like a movie star. She was always a lady and we always looked up to her. A true southern lady and brilliant socialite with a determination to provide the best for her family” said Roy Hall III, her nephew from Dublin, Georgia.
In later years, Bertie became an expert gardener, loved to entertain and was a grandmother. Everywhere she went a flower was growing. Bertie Porter is survived by her children John, Bayne and Allison and four grandchildren.
A grave side service will be held at Arlington Memorial Cemetery in Sandy Springs on Sunday February 24, 2019 at 2 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Chamblee First United Methodist Church 4147 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30341 on behalf of Evelyn Porter. Sympathy may be expressed by signing online at www.
milesodumfuneralhome.com Miles-Odum Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
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