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Patricia Porter

A beautiful free spirit made her way to heaven. Patricia Porter, 98, departed this life on July 19, 2024. She was the beloved wife of the late William S. Porter, Ph.D. Patricia was born at home in Naugatuck on Aug. 1, 1925, to the late Julius and Kathryn (Comiskey) VanMegroot. She leaves behind a family she loved dearly and one who loved her back. Her son Christopher Porter and daughter-in-law Jeanette of Clinton. Her grandchildren, who she adored, Preston (Jennifer) and Kelly.

A lifelong pacifist, Pat had positive and caring comments about almost anyone who crossed her path. When asked, “What is a life lesson or tenant of your life”? Her response was always, “Treat everyone with love”. As a 20-something-year-old in the 1940s, she explored her love for travel by taking trips to Cuba and Europe. During that time, she traveled to Paris to join the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship to help the less fortunate and spread love. She “walked the talk,” taking a family friend into their home in a time of need was a testament to her kind and caring nature. That young man remained in her life up to her passing which meant a lot to her.

Growing up with her two sisters in Naugatuck, they summered on the Connecticut shoreline where she loved to swim, which became a lifelong passion, typically swimming a mile plus at a time. She was the captain of her high school basketball team and was a talented ballet dancer, performing at venues such as Yale’s Woolsey Hall.

Seeing her sister with Summers off as a teacher, she found this attractive. She completed her education, which included two master’s degrees. One, due to the unique topic, a new master’s degree was created in “Teaching The Gifted.” Throughout her teaching career, she treasured her time with her students as an elementary teacher. Pat had a special capacity to handle the most challenging students, many of which were assigned to her classroom because of this.

She met her husband while volunteering at Yale. As he developed his career as a scientist, she enjoyed raising her son in Los Alamos, New Mexico, Washington, D.C., Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, and finally settling on the shoreline in Guilford.

There, a new passion for flipping houses began when it wasn’t as common, especially being a woman in a male-dominated industry. It didn’t faze her in the least, and when there were any issues, she was up to the task. With her innate design talent, she assumed the role of general contractor building from the ground up, purchasing raw land, designing homes (she loved to switch up floor plans), and having them built to her specifications. Her ongoing process was to build a new house, then sell the house they currently lived in, and then move into the new house. She would then use her creative and talented decorating ability to make the house a home. She would use the profits to buy another piece of raw land and do it again. Being a talented watercolor artist played into her insight as to design and color choices.

In the '70s, she came across an opportunity to open a retail women’s clothing store. Being one who loved fashion and design, this was an easy “Yes.” Pat successfully owned Fabulous Fashions in both Niantic and West Haven for many years. She had a talent and an eye for style, going to Manhattan weekly buying specifically for her customers, who inevitably loved what she chose for them. In her retirement, she helped her son at his office in any capacity that was needed, always arriving with lunch for everyone; that was the thoughtful person she was.

Spending time with her grandchildren always brought her joy and created lasting memories. Through the years, she continued to enjoy traveling around the world, most specifically her yearly trips to Maine and Florida. As a caring and insightful person, she was always there for you if you needed a voice of reason or ideas on how to solve a problem. She has touched many lives throughout her lifetime, and her legacy will be carried in the hearts of many.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Patricia’s name to The Albert Schweitzer Institute, https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/48393/donations/new. Please type Schweitzer in the designation box.

The family will receive visitors from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, July 27, 2024, with a memorial service at 11:45 a.m. at Hawley Lincoln Memorial, 1315 Boston Post Road in Guilford. A celebration of her life will follow at Guilford Mooring. Interment at the Eastside Burial Ground in Woodbridge will be private. The B.C. Bailey Funeral Home of Wallingford has been entrusted with the arrangements. To leave a message of remembrance, please visit www.BaileyCares.com.