Obituary of Gerald Porter

Life Legacy Gerald (Jerry) Lee Porter, a longtime resident of Salinas, passed away on Thursday, February 4, 2016, at the age of 78 after a long and courageous battle with cancer. He was born June 5, 1937, in Salem, Oregon, to Hazel and Lloyd Porter. Jerry moved to Monterey County as a boy and enjoyed exploring both land and sea, especially with his brother Archie. After graduating from Salinas High School in 1956, he married Josita (Jo) Godsey and they continued to live in Salinas with their daughter, Christy. Following a stint in the U.S. Army Reserve, Jerry devoted his entire career to manufacturing corrugated containers for the agricultural sector. He worked his way up to supervisor, as the company, now Smurfit Stone, changed hands through the years. After his retirement at age 60, he successfully raised giant pumpkins in his backyard and earned several awards for “Most Beautiful Pumpkin” at statewide competitions. His largest pumpkin weighed in at 803 pounds. He also spent many hours restoring a 1925 Chevy with his brother-in-law, Jack Vezzolo. Other interests included visiting the Vezzolo family ranch in San Ardo, hunting and fishing, traveling to Lake Tahoe, and backyard barbeques. He was preceded in death by his father, Lloyd Porter; his mother, Hazel Guerrero; his step-father, Sammy Guerrero; his brother, Archie; and his sister, Mildred. Jerry is survived by his wife, Josita; his daughter, Christy Porter Humpert (Scott); his sister Lila Vezzolo (Jack); his granddaughters, Elizabeth and Lauren; and his sisters-in-law, Brenda Godsey and Karen Jones. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews, including Jeffery Vezzolo (Beth), with whom he was especially close. Funeral Services will take place on Tuesday, February 9, 2016, 11am at Healey Mortuary 405 N. Sanborn Rd. Salinas, CA 93905. Burial with Military Honors to follow at the Garden of Memories Cemetery 850 Abbott St. Salinas, CA 93901. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made for either cancer research or to the Central Coast VNA Hospice in his memory.