Dennis James Porter

Dennis James Porter passed away on December 24, 2022 at the Mayo Clinic, St. Mary's Campus in Rochester, MN. Dennis died unexpectedly of complications of Guillaim-Barré Syndrome, diagnosed in early December.

Dennis was a kind, loving, and intelligent man with a sense of humor. He was an excellent cook and bread maker, and grew vegetables and herbs in his garden, devising multiple strategies over the years to thwart hungry deer, squirrels, and other pests. He had Sunday dinner with his family every week, after which he worked the Sunday NYT crossword puzzle with his mother and daughter. 

From childhood, he was a talented artist, drawing dinosaurs and other animals he saw in books, and later took up painting. He loved art, and enjoyed visiting museums. He traveled to Paris, Madrid, and Seville with his sister in 1994, and Rajastan in India with his daughter, sister and brother-in-law in 2012.

He found love later in life, and experienced much joy and happiness with his new family, fiancée Kourtney and her daughter Elva. They loved good food and wine tasting with their friends. Dennis did his own landscaping, built a deck and patio, and enjoyed being outside with a cup of coffee, glass of wine or a drink in his hand. It was also a favorite place for hosting friends, and reading in quieter times.

He lived in Albert Lea all of his life, except for a short time in Puyallup, WA, in the 1980s, when he worked at Mount Rainier National Park. In Albert Lea, he worked for many years at the meat processing plant that is now Cargill Foods. He took his turn in union negotiations, and will be missed by his many co-workers.

He is survived by his daughter Jasmine M Porter, mother Eva J Haroldson, sister Cathy A Porter (Steve Bonine), brother David J Porter (Jean Hoffmann), sister-in-law Gail (Hoffmann) Porter, as well as nieces and nephew Lauren, Erin, Caitlin, and Nathan Porter, fiancée Kourtney Kopet and her daughter Elva. He will also be greatly missed by life-long best friend, Ken Kingstrom, and his wife MaChar.

He is preceded in death by his biological father Stuart G Porter, stepfather Milton Haroldson, and brother Craig.

The family is planning a celebration of Den’s life May 20, 2023, details to come at a later date.