Eileen E. Porter (76) passed away at her Madera home with her family by her side on Tuesday, July 23, 2013, after a long battle with cancer and heart disease.

Eileen was born in Philadelphia, Pa. to the late Clayton Joseph Fry and Edith Brendlinger Fry in 1937. Her parents, brothers and sister moved from the east coast to Fresno after World War II. Her two older brothers would join the family in Fresno after being honorably discharged from the United States Navy.

Eileen graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1955 and attended Fresno City College. During college she was a member of the Fresno Sweet Adolines. Eileen met her future husband, Jack Porter, on a blind date set up by their best friends, John & Pat Walton. At the end of the first date Jack asked "You want to get married or something". To which Eileen answered, "You want to get married or nothing". They were married on June 30, 1962 and after 27 years of matrimony, were temporarily separated when the love of her life died on June 2, 1989.

In 1964 Eileen and her husband Jack moved his CPA firm to the city of Madera. Four years later they bought a house on the west-side of Madera and moved here with their son Jack Jr.  Eileen worked in the office and was very active in the community. She was a member of the Algeria Guild and worked to raise money for Valley Children's Hospital with their annual "Day in the Country" event of which she was a chairman. She was a member of the Madera Soroptomist Club and served as president twice. She was also an honorary member of the Chowchilla Soroptomist Club and served in multiple district offices.

While her husband was a member, secretary and past president of the Madera Trade Club (a business organization for men only), Eileen was a founding member and president of the Madera Ladies Trade Club. In a few years the woman's club soon eclipsed the men's organization and after some time allowed the men to join when the men's group shut down.

For her service to the community the Madera Exchange Club honored Eileen with the "Book of Golden Deeds", the highest honor the club can give a member of the community. She also recovered the "Paul Harris Fellowship" from the Madera Rotary Club. Those honored with that award by local clubs are individuals who meet high professional and personal standards set forth by Paul Harris, the founder of Rotary Club International.

Following the death of her husband Jack, Eileen worked for the accountancy firm of Robert Garibay CPA. She then took a job with Kmart in Madera where she ran the customer service desk. While working for the retailer, she would often dress up as the Easter Bunny in the Spring or a clown in the summer to entertain the children in the store. When the store closed in Madera she found her dream job as the executive director at the Madera Downtown Association. She promoted all things downtown, organizing the annual Old Timer's Day and Halloween Parades as well as the Downtown Wine Stroll and Tractor Parade. When the association's board eliminated her position, many downtown merchants signed a petition to bring her back.

Eileen's next job gave her a can of pepper spray and a set of handcuffs. She began working as a security guard for Zak's Security and then Madera Private Security. The five foot nothing 60-something woman guarded many local businesses at night as well as sitting with patients at the Madera Community Hospital. When she put on her uniform, no one ever messed with Miss. Eileen. If she had to tell someone to "Knock it off", they did.

She volunteered many years of service to the Madera District Chamber of Commerce as an Ambassador as well as serving on several chamber committees including the Business Extravaganza, Trees for Charity and Shop Madera Committee. Through the chamber she was also on the committee that restarted the tradition of the Madera High School Homecoming Parade through downtown Madera.

Eileen and her husband supported local public television, KVPT Channel 18, with their time. While Mr. Porter was on the station's board of management, Eileen served on several committees involving the annual Great TV Auction that was the station's largest fund raiser. She would seek out donations from Madera County businesses for items the station would then auction on TV. One item that made her husband less than happy was a hundred pounds of manure donated by a local feed store which Eileen transported in the couple's Mercedes Benz.

After having two heart attacks and quadruple bi-pass surgery, Eileen continued to volunteer her time in retirement by working with the Madera County Food Bank. Originally she started with the SNAP program that provides fresh produce to senior citizens. After a while she was building food boxes with her crew three to four days a week. Even after a bout with cancer and a stroke, Eileen continued with the food bank when the SNAP program was restarted last year under a new administration.

Her passions were her grandchildren and her joys were any sports or activities in which her grandchildren were involved. As she did for her son in the seventies, Eileen volunteered her time in the classroom for her grandchildren at John Adams Elementary. When her son Jack was in the same school 30 years prior, she served on the PTA at Adams and Thomas Jefferson Junior High. She was also on an advisory board for Small Fry Co-Op Nursery when it was located at the old ag farm at Madera High. In the fall she could be found on the sidelines of her grandson's football games. In the spring she would cheer on her grandchildren at the Little League fields. She loved baseball and Fresno State Football. She loved playing cards, especially gin-rummy, though would often complain that her brothers Jim and Bob cheated.

The family would like to thank the staff of Saint Agnes Hospice Care that made Eileen's last two weeks on Earth as comfortable as possible. It takes special people to work in a medical position where you know that despite your best efforts, your patients may be leaving any day.

Eileen was preceded in death by her husband, Jack W Porter, Sr.; and brothers, Clayton Joseph Fry, Jr., Robert  Fry and James E. Fry. She is survived by her son, Jack W Porter, Jr. and his fiancé Nancy Eland; grandchildren, Brian John Snipes, Allison Michelle Porter, Sarah Eileen Porter and Mekenzee Leece Atkinson; daughter-in-law, Kimberly Snipes; brother, Alban Tayor Fry and his wife Dorothy of Carson City, Nevada, sister, Marion Fry (a missionary in the Philippines); brother-in-law, Robert Porter and his wife Jackie of Branson, Missouri. She is also survived by her good friend Wanda Bowerman and several nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will take place on Friday August 9, 2013 at 11:00 am at the First Christian Church on Sunset Avenue in Madera. A private burial is set a later date at Arbor Vitae Cemetery, Madera, CA.

The family requests that any remembrances be made to: Madera County Food Bank, 225 S Pine Street  #101, Madera, CA 93637.