Charles Michael "Mike" Porter, 72, of Evansville, Indiana, passed away Tuesday, August 3, 2021 at home surrounded by his family. Mike was born on January 19th, 1949 to the late Lawrence W. and Ada R. Hayes Porter at home during a blistering snowstorm in Evansville, IN.
He is survived by his faithful wife of 44 years, Nancy; sons, Alex (Marla Wilson) of Louisville, KY and Jared (Ashley) of Evansville, IN; his beloved granddaughter, Avery of Evansville, IN; sister, Beverley (Charles Beacham) of Evansville, IN; brother, Jerry (Alice) of Evansville, IN; brother, Wayne (Ruth) of Evansville, IN; brother, Donald (Debra) of Mobile, AL; sister, Rebecca of Evansville, IN; brother, Mark of Evansville, IN; sister, Kim of Evansville, IN; sister, Tina of Evansville, IN; as well as numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. He is also survived by brothers-in-law, Daniel Hall (Bonnie) and Jeff Hall.
He is preceded in death by his parents and sister, Linda.
He graduated from Evansville Central High School in 1967, where he excelled in Cross Country and Basketball, where he was a letterman. He was conscripted into military service for Vietnam in 1969. He was able to carry over his talents in basketball into the US Army, where he played on the all-Army Basketball squad while serving his post at the Medical Depot in the Korean DMZ.
After his return from service, he worked briefly at the Whirlpool refrigeration plant while attending Ivy Tech Community College in pursuit of a degree in HVAC. Upon completion of his training, he began a career in sales spanning 30+ years in the heating and air conditioning field at United Refrigeration where he worked for nearly 20 years before taking on another opportunity at Johnstone Supply Company where he retired in 2013.
Mike was a devout fan of both Indiana University and University of Louisville college basketball, where he often got frustrated towards poor officiating and bad coaching decisions. He was a lifelong fan of the then-Brooklyn Dodgers and followed their move to Los Angeles without a hitch. His favorite baseball player growing up was "The Left Arm of God", Sandy Koufax. He grew up loving horses, and caught the racing bug while watching live races at Ellis Park with his favorite uncle, Richard "Dick" Hayes. He especially looked forward to the racing meets at Churchill Downs and Keeneland in Kentucky, where he attended many live racing events such as the Breeder's Cup and Kentucky Derby with friends and family. Most Sundays were spent watching NASCAR and NFL football. He was fortunate enough to have attended multiple live car races throughout the years, and supported Bill Elliott as his favorite driver. His fav orite NFL team was the Miami Dolphins, which arose from admiration of the dominant teams of the 1970s.
Mike continued his avid pursuit of learning and reading, even to his last days. He often watched the History Channel, with special interest in anything related to WW2. His favorite book of all time was 1984 by George Orwell, which sparked a love of government related history, philosophy and futurism. Other authors he enjoyed were Alex Haley, Herman Wouk, Leon Uris, and Thomas Pynchon. He was a longtime fan of Jeopardy!, where he was known to get a majority of the answers correct in a multitude of categories. Mike even had a mustache throughout most of his life which resembled that of Alex Trebek.
His musical taste revolved around southern rock, bluegrass, and outlaw country. He loved the music of Johnny Cash, Hank Williams Jr, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Travis Tritt, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Jerry Garcia. He also had a particular fondness for movies. He loved Paul Newman, with "Cool Hand Luke" and "The Hustler" ranking at the top of his favorites. The latter inspired Mike to learn the art of pocket billiards, which was a favorite hobby of his throughout his life. He was known to be an outstanding pool player, and had the opportunity to play against legendary player Minnesota Fats as a teenager.
Mike was an active part of his community and was given awards over the years. He was a volunteer at the Evansville Boys Club, where he received the volunteer of the year award in 1985. He was made an honorary Kentucky Colonel in 1989. Mike was also a member of the Evansville Athletic Club.
A celebration of Mike's life will be held at 1:00 pm on Saturday, August 7, 2021, at Browning Funeral Home, 738 Diamond Ave., Evansville, IN 47711, with Pastor David Heard officiating. Burial will follow at Oak Hill Cemetery where the Army National Guard will conduct military rites. Friends may visit from 9:00 am until service time on Saturday at Browning Funeral Home. Published in Courier Press from Aug. 4, to Aug. 5, 2021.
He is survived by his faithful wife of 44 years, Nancy; sons, Alex (Marla Wilson) of Louisville, KY and Jared (Ashley) of Evansville, IN; his beloved granddaughter, Avery of Evansville, IN; sister, Beverley (Charles Beacham) of Evansville, IN; brother, Jerry (Alice) of Evansville, IN; brother, Wayne (Ruth) of Evansville, IN; brother, Donald (Debra) of Mobile, AL; sister, Rebecca of Evansville, IN; brother, Mark of Evansville, IN; sister, Kim of Evansville, IN; sister, Tina of Evansville, IN; as well as numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. He is also survived by brothers-in-law, Daniel Hall (Bonnie) and Jeff Hall.
He is preceded in death by his parents and sister, Linda.
He graduated from Evansville Central High School in 1967, where he excelled in Cross Country and Basketball, where he was a letterman. He was conscripted into military service for Vietnam in 1969. He was able to carry over his talents in basketball into the US Army, where he played on the all-Army Basketball squad while serving his post at the Medical Depot in the Korean DMZ.
After his return from service, he worked briefly at the Whirlpool refrigeration plant while attending Ivy Tech Community College in pursuit of a degree in HVAC. Upon completion of his training, he began a career in sales spanning 30+ years in the heating and air conditioning field at United Refrigeration where he worked for nearly 20 years before taking on another opportunity at Johnstone Supply Company where he retired in 2013.
Mike was a devout fan of both Indiana University and University of Louisville college basketball, where he often got frustrated towards poor officiating and bad coaching decisions. He was a lifelong fan of the then-Brooklyn Dodgers and followed their move to Los Angeles without a hitch. His favorite baseball player growing up was "The Left Arm of God", Sandy Koufax. He grew up loving horses, and caught the racing bug while watching live races at Ellis Park with his favorite uncle, Richard "Dick" Hayes. He especially looked forward to the racing meets at Churchill Downs and Keeneland in Kentucky, where he attended many live racing events such as the Breeder's Cup and Kentucky Derby with friends and family. Most Sundays were spent watching NASCAR and NFL football. He was fortunate enough to have attended multiple live car races throughout the years, and supported Bill Elliott as his favorite driver. His fav orite NFL team was the Miami Dolphins, which arose from admiration of the dominant teams of the 1970s.
Mike continued his avid pursuit of learning and reading, even to his last days. He often watched the History Channel, with special interest in anything related to WW2. His favorite book of all time was 1984 by George Orwell, which sparked a love of government related history, philosophy and futurism. Other authors he enjoyed were Alex Haley, Herman Wouk, Leon Uris, and Thomas Pynchon. He was a longtime fan of Jeopardy!, where he was known to get a majority of the answers correct in a multitude of categories. Mike even had a mustache throughout most of his life which resembled that of Alex Trebek.
His musical taste revolved around southern rock, bluegrass, and outlaw country. He loved the music of Johnny Cash, Hank Williams Jr, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Travis Tritt, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Jerry Garcia. He also had a particular fondness for movies. He loved Paul Newman, with "Cool Hand Luke" and "The Hustler" ranking at the top of his favorites. The latter inspired Mike to learn the art of pocket billiards, which was a favorite hobby of his throughout his life. He was known to be an outstanding pool player, and had the opportunity to play against legendary player Minnesota Fats as a teenager.
Mike was an active part of his community and was given awards over the years. He was a volunteer at the Evansville Boys Club, where he received the volunteer of the year award in 1985. He was made an honorary Kentucky Colonel in 1989. Mike was also a member of the Evansville Athletic Club.
A celebration of Mike's life will be held at 1:00 pm on Saturday, August 7, 2021, at Browning Funeral Home, 738 Diamond Ave., Evansville, IN 47711, with Pastor David Heard officiating. Burial will follow at Oak Hill Cemetery where the Army National Guard will conduct military rites. Friends may visit from 9:00 am until service time on Saturday at Browning Funeral Home. Published in Courier Press from Aug. 4, to Aug. 5, 2021.
Charles Michael "Mike" Porter, 72, of Evansville, Indiana, passed away Tuesday, August 3, 2021 at home surrounded by his family. Mike was born on January 19th, 1949 to the late Lawrence W. and Ada R. Hayes Porter at home during a blistering snowstorm in Evansville, IN.
He is survived by his faithful wife of 44 years, Nancy; sons, Alex (Marla Wilson) of Louisville, KY and Jared (Ashley) of Evansville, IN; his beloved granddaughter, Avery of Evansville, IN; sister, Beverley (Charles Beacham) of Evansville, IN; brother, Jerry (Alice) of Evansville, IN; brother, Wayne (Ruth) of Evansville, IN; brother, Donald (Debra) of Mobile, AL; sister, Rebecca of Evansville, IN; brother, Mark of Evansville, IN; sister, Kim of Evansville, IN; sister, Tina of Evansville, IN; as well as numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. He is also survived by brothers-in-law, Daniel Hall (Bonnie) and Jeff Hall.
He is preceded in death by his parents and sister, Linda.
He graduated from Evansville Central High School in 1967, where he excelled in Cross Country and Basketball, where he was a letterman. He was conscripted into military service for Vietnam in 1969. He was able to carry over his talents in basketball into the US Army, where he played on the all-Army Basketball squad while serving his post at the Medical Depot in the Korean DMZ.
After his return from service, he worked briefly at the Whirlpool refrigeration plant while attending Ivy Tech Community College in pursuit of a degree in HVAC. Upon completion of his training, he began a career in sales spanning 30+ years in the heating and air conditioning field at United Refrigeration where he worked for nearly 20 years before taking on another opportunity at Johnstone Supply Company where he retired in 2013.
Mike was a devout fan of both Indiana University and University of Louisville college basketball, where he often got frustrated towards poor officiating and bad coaching decisions. He was a lifelong fan of the then-Brooklyn Dodgers and followed their move to Los Angeles without a hitch. His favorite baseball player growing up was "The Left Arm of God", Sandy Koufax. He grew up loving horses, and caught the racing bug while watching live races at Ellis Park with his favorite uncle, Richard "Dick" Hayes. He especially looked forward to the racing meets at Churchill Downs and Keeneland in Kentucky, where he attended many live racing events such as the Breeder's Cup and Kentucky Derby with friends and family. Most Sundays were spent watching NASCAR and NFL football. He was fortunate enough to have attended multiple live car races throughout the years, and supported Bill Elliott as his favorite driver. His fav orite NFL team was the Miami Dolphins, which arose from admiration of the dominant teams of the 1970s.
Mike continued his avid pursuit of learning and reading, even to his last days. He often watched the History Channel, with special interest in anything related to WW2. His favorite book of all time was 1984 by George Orwell, which sparked a love of government related history, philosophy and futurism. Other authors he enjoyed were Alex Haley, Herman Wouk, Leon Uris, and Thomas Pynchon. He was a longtime fan of Jeopardy!, where he was known to get a majority of the answers correct in a multitude of categories. Mike even had a mustache throughout most of his life which resembled that of Alex Trebek.
His musical taste revolved around southern rock, bluegrass, and outlaw country. He loved the music of Johnny Cash, Hank Williams Jr, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Travis Tritt, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Jerry Garcia. He also had a particular fondness for movies. He loved Paul Newman, with "Cool Hand Luke" and "The Hustler" ranking at the top of his favorites. The latter inspired Mike to learn the art of pocket billiards, which was a favorite hobby of his throughout his life. He was known to be an outstanding pool player, and had the opportunity to play against legendary player Minnesota Fats as a teenager.
Mike was an active part of his community and was given awards over the years. He was a volunteer at the Evansville Boys Club, where he received the volunteer of the year award in 1985. He was made an honorary Kentucky Colonel in 1989. Mike was also a member of the Evansville Athletic Club.
A celebration of Mike's life will be held at 1:00 pm on Saturday, August 7, 2021, at Browning Funeral Home, 738 Diamond Ave., Evansville, IN 47711, with Pastor David Heard officiating. Burial will follow at Oak Hill Cemetery where the Army National Guard will conduct military rites. Friends may visit from 9:00 am until service time on Saturday at Browning Funeral Home. Published in Courier Press from Aug. 4, to Aug. 5, 2021.
He is survived by his faithful wife of 44 years, Nancy; sons, Alex (Marla Wilson) of Louisville, KY and Jared (Ashley) of Evansville, IN; his beloved granddaughter, Avery of Evansville, IN; sister, Beverley (Charles Beacham) of Evansville, IN; brother, Jerry (Alice) of Evansville, IN; brother, Wayne (Ruth) of Evansville, IN; brother, Donald (Debra) of Mobile, AL; sister, Rebecca of Evansville, IN; brother, Mark of Evansville, IN; sister, Kim of Evansville, IN; sister, Tina of Evansville, IN; as well as numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. He is also survived by brothers-in-law, Daniel Hall (Bonnie) and Jeff Hall.
He is preceded in death by his parents and sister, Linda.
He graduated from Evansville Central High School in 1967, where he excelled in Cross Country and Basketball, where he was a letterman. He was conscripted into military service for Vietnam in 1969. He was able to carry over his talents in basketball into the US Army, where he played on the all-Army Basketball squad while serving his post at the Medical Depot in the Korean DMZ.
After his return from service, he worked briefly at the Whirlpool refrigeration plant while attending Ivy Tech Community College in pursuit of a degree in HVAC. Upon completion of his training, he began a career in sales spanning 30+ years in the heating and air conditioning field at United Refrigeration where he worked for nearly 20 years before taking on another opportunity at Johnstone Supply Company where he retired in 2013.
Mike was a devout fan of both Indiana University and University of Louisville college basketball, where he often got frustrated towards poor officiating and bad coaching decisions. He was a lifelong fan of the then-Brooklyn Dodgers and followed their move to Los Angeles without a hitch. His favorite baseball player growing up was "The Left Arm of God", Sandy Koufax. He grew up loving horses, and caught the racing bug while watching live races at Ellis Park with his favorite uncle, Richard "Dick" Hayes. He especially looked forward to the racing meets at Churchill Downs and Keeneland in Kentucky, where he attended many live racing events such as the Breeder's Cup and Kentucky Derby with friends and family. Most Sundays were spent watching NASCAR and NFL football. He was fortunate enough to have attended multiple live car races throughout the years, and supported Bill Elliott as his favorite driver. His fav orite NFL team was the Miami Dolphins, which arose from admiration of the dominant teams of the 1970s.
Mike continued his avid pursuit of learning and reading, even to his last days. He often watched the History Channel, with special interest in anything related to WW2. His favorite book of all time was 1984 by George Orwell, which sparked a love of government related history, philosophy and futurism. Other authors he enjoyed were Alex Haley, Herman Wouk, Leon Uris, and Thomas Pynchon. He was a longtime fan of Jeopardy!, where he was known to get a majority of the answers correct in a multitude of categories. Mike even had a mustache throughout most of his life which resembled that of Alex Trebek.
His musical taste revolved around southern rock, bluegrass, and outlaw country. He loved the music of Johnny Cash, Hank Williams Jr, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Travis Tritt, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Jerry Garcia. He also had a particular fondness for movies. He loved Paul Newman, with "Cool Hand Luke" and "The Hustler" ranking at the top of his favorites. The latter inspired Mike to learn the art of pocket billiards, which was a favorite hobby of his throughout his life. He was known to be an outstanding pool player, and had the opportunity to play against legendary player Minnesota Fats as a teenager.
Mike was an active part of his community and was given awards over the years. He was a volunteer at the Evansville Boys Club, where he received the volunteer of the year award in 1985. He was made an honorary Kentucky Colonel in 1989. Mike was also a member of the Evansville Athletic Club.
A celebration of Mike's life will be held at 1:00 pm on Saturday, August 7, 2021, at Browning Funeral Home, 738 Diamond Ave., Evansville, IN 47711, with Pastor David Heard officiating. Burial will follow at Oak Hill Cemetery where the Army National Guard will conduct military rites. Friends may visit from 9:00 am until service time on Saturday at Browning Funeral Home. Published in Courier Press from Aug. 4, to Aug. 5, 2021.
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