Welcome to the memorial page for
Dorwen Gale Porter
October 31, 1934 ~ July 30, 2015 (age 80) 80 Years OldShare Tribute:
Funeral service for Dorwen Porter, 80, of Lawton will be at 10:00 AM, Tuesday, August 4th, at Cameron Baptist Church with Rev. Mike Teel, pastor, officiating.
Burial will be at Sunset Memorial Gardens under the direction of Lawton Ritter Gray Funeral Home.
Mr. Porter passed away on Thursday, July 30th, 2015, in Lawton.
Dorwen was born on October 31st, 1934 in Lawton, Oklahoma to Ralph Emerson Porter and Mary Lora (Christian) Porter. He grew up east of Lawton and attended Flower Mound Grade School, Central Jr. High and graduated from Lawton High School in 1954, the last senior class from the old building on C Ave, which has since been converted into city offices.
Dorwen worked for three years in the circulation department at the Lawton Constitution while attending Cameron Junior College part-time. He also put in eight years of service with the Oklahoma National Guard. He joined the Lawton Fire Department in 1959 where he worked for almost 21 years before retiring as Fire Marshall on the last day of December 1980. In August of 1981, he signed on with the City of Lawton Recreation Department where he was the director of sports and aquatics until his retirement in May of 1998.
Dorwen married Helen Marie Howell on February 18, 1961 at First Baptist Church in Lawton, OK.
He was an avid OU Sooner fan and he loved watching his granddaughters play sports. His love of sports began on the playgrounds of Lawton and continued through high school, where he not only was the captain, but also earned all conference in football, basketball, and baseball. He earned All-State in baseball his senior year and received the Best Athlete Award from Lawton High in 1954. Dorwen's love of sports and helping young athletes led him to Lincoln Elementary where he coached football, basketball, and baseball for 13 years. He also started officiating football, basketball, and baseball right out of high school. He officiated football from 1954-1989, basketball from 1958-1987, and baseball for 12 years. He called throughout the state of Oklahoma where he made cherished friendships with city and area coaches. In 2008, he was inducted into the Oklahoma Officials Association Hall of Fame. He was also a dual member of the Southwest Oklahoma Officials Association Hall of Fame; earning football recognition in 1995 and basketball recognition in 2001.
Dorwen was a member of Cameron Baptist Church, serving as an usher and children's department teacher and worker for 30+ years.
He is survived by his wife, Helen, of 54 years; two daughters, Gayla Short and her husband Kurt, of Elgin, OK, and Lori Porter, of Flower Mound, TX; two granddaughters, Jordan McKean of Lawton, OK, and Allyson Short of Elgin, OK; two sisters, Peggy Spradlin and Marjorie Lutz, both of Lawton, OK; and one brother, Murl Porter and his wife Nancy of Bethany, OK, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
He was proceeded in death by his parents, Ralph and Mary Porter; brothers in law, Rex Spradlin and Don Lutz; two nieces, Fran Spradlin Hughes, and Dixie Jones Smith; and one nephew, Raymond Drew Spradlin.
Memorial Contributions may be made to Cameron Baptist Church Building Fund, 2621 SW C Ave, Lawton, Oklahoma, 73505.
Burial will be at Sunset Memorial Gardens under the direction of Lawton Ritter Gray Funeral Home.
Mr. Porter passed away on Thursday, July 30th, 2015, in Lawton.
Dorwen was born on October 31st, 1934 in Lawton, Oklahoma to Ralph Emerson Porter and Mary Lora (Christian) Porter. He grew up east of Lawton and attended Flower Mound Grade School, Central Jr. High and graduated from Lawton High School in 1954, the last senior class from the old building on C Ave, which has since been converted into city offices.
Dorwen worked for three years in the circulation department at the Lawton Constitution while attending Cameron Junior College part-time. He also put in eight years of service with the Oklahoma National Guard. He joined the Lawton Fire Department in 1959 where he worked for almost 21 years before retiring as Fire Marshall on the last day of December 1980. In August of 1981, he signed on with the City of Lawton Recreation Department where he was the director of sports and aquatics until his retirement in May of 1998.
Dorwen married Helen Marie Howell on February 18, 1961 at First Baptist Church in Lawton, OK.
He was an avid OU Sooner fan and he loved watching his granddaughters play sports. His love of sports began on the playgrounds of Lawton and continued through high school, where he not only was the captain, but also earned all conference in football, basketball, and baseball. He earned All-State in baseball his senior year and received the Best Athlete Award from Lawton High in 1954. Dorwen's love of sports and helping young athletes led him to Lincoln Elementary where he coached football, basketball, and baseball for 13 years. He also started officiating football, basketball, and baseball right out of high school. He officiated football from 1954-1989, basketball from 1958-1987, and baseball for 12 years. He called throughout the state of Oklahoma where he made cherished friendships with city and area coaches. In 2008, he was inducted into the Oklahoma Officials Association Hall of Fame. He was also a dual member of the Southwest Oklahoma Officials Association Hall of Fame; earning football recognition in 1995 and basketball recognition in 2001.
Dorwen was a member of Cameron Baptist Church, serving as an usher and children's department teacher and worker for 30+ years.
He is survived by his wife, Helen, of 54 years; two daughters, Gayla Short and her husband Kurt, of Elgin, OK, and Lori Porter, of Flower Mound, TX; two granddaughters, Jordan McKean of Lawton, OK, and Allyson Short of Elgin, OK; two sisters, Peggy Spradlin and Marjorie Lutz, both of Lawton, OK; and one brother, Murl Porter and his wife Nancy of Bethany, OK, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
He was proceeded in death by his parents, Ralph and Mary Porter; brothers in law, Rex Spradlin and Don Lutz; two nieces, Fran Spradlin Hughes, and Dixie Jones Smith; and one nephew, Raymond Drew Spradlin.
Memorial Contributions may be made to Cameron Baptist Church Building Fund, 2621 SW C Ave, Lawton, Oklahoma, 73505.
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