Robert Porter

On March 25th, 2016 Robert (Bob) Porter died. He was born in Rockford, Illinois in 1942. His family moved to California in the 1950's where he learned to surf, fell in love, married and completed his schooling at UC Santa Barbara. After his two children were born he moved the family to Northern New Mexico and lived there for 40 plus years before moving from Chama to Santa Fe in 2013. He will be remembered for the things he enjoyed and the things he did. He thinned acres and acres of Ponderosa pine trees and built a log home with them for his family. He raised animals, an amazing organic, vegetable garden and two children. With no ocean nearby, he left surfing behind and learned to ski. For many years he enjoyed exploring the back country and Telemark skiing and exposing others to find joy in doing the same - which led to establishing Chama Ski Service. He did beautiful stone work with river rock and built country furniture with reclaimed timber from a forest fire near Dulce on the Jicarilla Apache Reservation. He had a special fondness for a variety of music - especially jazz. He will be best remembered for the kind of man he became - kind and generous, hardworking, impartial and a self- sacrificing husband, father, grandfather and friend. He will be missed. He was pre-deceased by his parents, Robert and Merle Porter; his brother Thomas Porter and his son Tommy Porter. He is survived by Melissa, his wife of over 50 years; his son, Doven Porter of Santa Fe; his daughter, Prairie Romero, her husband, Nate and their children, Skylar, Dakota, Paris and Chloe of Raleigh, North Carolina. We treasure so many personal as well shared memories. We find comfort in knowing that he is at rest, and we cherish the promises recorded in the Bible - promises of a time in the future when Jehovah God will restore to life again all those who are now safe within his perfect and boundless memory.