Harold William Porter
1924-2020
Harold William Porter, of Centerville, Kings County, age 95,
died peacefully on Monday, March 2, 2020 in the Valley Regional
Hospital after a brief illness precipitated by a heart condition.
Harold grew up in Centreville and at the age of 16, joined the Armed
Forces, serving in Europe during the Second World War. After the end
of the war, he attended Dawson College in Montreal, later joining CBC
Radio in Halifax where he worked as a radio technician until his
retirement. Harold was a gifted writer and public speaker who enjoyed
satire. For those who were around in the mid 1970’s you might remember
a CBC radio interview that was sparked by the news-of-the-day that we
were rapidly running out of oil. The CBC interviewer introduced Harold
as a well-known civil engineer who had been hired by the provincial
government to solve our problem. Harold explained that his company
would be disengaging Nova Scotia from New Brunswick at the isthmus of
Chignecto and floating it down to Florida for the winter – returning
in the spring. At the end of the program, the switchboard at the CBC
lit up with calls from listeners, some furious and some in agreement.
One caller was annoyed that the Nova Scotia government would agree to
the plan without first holding a plebiscite while another caller
wanted to know if the province would be back by early summer because
his family was planning to vacation here. Harold’s sense of humour,
his quick wit and his love of a good yarn were well known by family,
friends and strangers alike. He enjoyed people. Harold was also an
amateur radio operator (VE1AQP) and eventually became a computer
enthusiast. His many interests and hobbies included painting,
photography, gardening and wine making. He never ceased to continue
learning. Besides Pat, his wife of 46 years, Harold is survived by one
brother Russell; two children, David and Ruth; four grandchildren,
Jaqueline, Michael, Scott and Lynn; four great grandchildren,
Marigold, Iris, Alden and Hayden; four step children, Stuart, Roddy,
Mora and Carolyn; six step grandchildren, Broghan, Hannah, Mollie,
Alexander, Ben and Charlie; as well as several nieces and nephews. He
was predeceased by his father, William Porter; mother, Maude
(Wournell) Porter; brothers, Clifford, Albert (Pete); sisters, Mildred
and Alberta; and son, Bill. A celebration of Harold’s life will be
held at a later date. Donations in his memory may be made to the Heart
and Stroke Foundation or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements
have been entrusted to the White Family Funeral Home and Cremation
Services, Kentville.
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Harold William Porter 19242020..
Death notice for the town of: Kentville, Province: Nova Scotia
Dear Pat and Family,
We were so sad to hear of Harold’s Passing. We will always remember his perpetual smile and sonorous voice. Harold always added something special to our family reunions and we especially remember him as “host extraordinaire” at our reunion in Centreville. P)lease accept our deepest condolences.
Sincerely,
Wilf and Marlene