Leroy Porter, 76

Leroy Porter, 76, died of natural causes in his home on Aug. 1, 2012.

He was born to Lloyd and Isabelle Porter on Oct, 27, 1935, in Klamath Falls, Ore. He graduated from Klamath Union High School in 1953 and Oregon State University in 1957.

He married Eunice Welman in 1958. They later divorced.

After college, Leroy worked for Phillips Petroleum in Idaho Falls, Idaho. He and his family moved to Columbia Falls in 1963 where he worked for Anaconda Aluminum, later Atlantic Richfield, until 1986. He then worked seasonally for the U.S. Forest Service until retirement in the mid-1990s.

Leroy enjoyed living in Montana. He liked to fish and hunt with his family. He also liked to pick huckleberries. He was well-loved among friends and family for the jam he would make from huckleberries and other fruits that he grew in his yard. He also enjoyed listening to music, reading, genealogy, Civil War history and square dancing.

He enjoyed world travel during his retirement. He traveled to several countries in Asia, Europe, Africa and Central and South America. He was scheduled to take a trip to Mongolia and Lake Baikal in September.

He is survived by his sister, Karen Nicolas, of Klamath Falls, Ore.; his daughter, and son-in-law, Annette and Mickey Hatley, of Keizer, Ore.; his daughter and son-in-law, Elaine and David Laraway, of Redding, Calif.; his son, Russell Porter, of Seattle; and his grandchildren, Stephanie Hatley of Redmond, Wash., Benjamin Hatley of Corvallis, Ore., Todd Hatley of Keizer, and Elisa and Andrew Laraway of Redding.

A celebration of his life will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 18, at the United Methodist Church in Columbia Falls.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Wilderness Society.