CAPT John Dudley Porter, USN (Retired) of Mystic, CT, died peacefully August 18, 2015 at Lawrence & Memorial Hospital at the age of 74. He was the son of the late Paul & Ruth Porter of Pasadena, CA. A graduate of Stanford University with a BS in Mechanical Engineering, he was commissioned as an ensign in December 1963 and proceeded through submarine nuclear power training after which he reported to duty aboard the USS Thomas A. Edison (SSBN-610). Subsequent tours were spent aboard the USS Casimir Pulaski (SSBN-633), the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Examining Board, the USS Skate (SSN-578), and command tours on the USS Kamehameha (SSBN-642), USS Trepang (SSN-674), and the submarine tender USS Frank Cable (AS-40). He also served as Commander Submarine Force Representative at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. His last tour before retirement in 1992 was N-5 on the Submarine Pacific Fleet staff. While in the Navy, CAPT Porter earned advanced degrees from George Washington University, Salve Regina University, and the Naval War College. His second career included consulting work in the nuclear weapons field and as Deputy Program Manager for the CVNX project at Electric Boat until 2007.
CAPT Porter was a devoted volunteer, logging countless hours of community service with the Navy League, Mystic River Historical Society, Florence Griswold Museum, and the VITA/TCE tax preparation program. His leadership roles included president of the Mystic chapter of Rotary International, secretary of the Submarine Force Library & Museum, and treasurer of the Mystic & Noank Library board, among others. He was a Civil War history buff, an avid reader, a bridge player, and a sailing enthusiast. He exhibited a bright mind, a dry wit, and a generous spirit, always with a stiff upper lip.
CAPT Porter is survived by his wife of fifty years, Mary Katherine (Kroeger); their son Philip, his wife Katherine, and their children Elizabeth and Graham of Baltimore, MD; their daughter Sarah and her husband Michael of Austin, TX; and his brother Robert of Pasadena, CA. He was preceded in death by his son Paul.
A memorial gathering will be held at the Ram Island Yacht Club in Noank, CT, on Saturday, September 19th, at 4pm. His ashes will be scattered at sea.
In lieu of flowers, donations in his name may be made to the Mystic & Noank Library endowment fund at 40 Library Street, Mystic, CT 06355.
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