In an obituary in BJENH.,18, 2005, 55-56, Peter Hodge noted that Porter was born in Bridport, Dorset and his education included the local Grammar School there. He moved to Saffron Walden, Essex, in 1959 where he taught several subjects including biology, before taking a teachers training course in Westminster and moving to Stevenage where he taught biology at Barnwell School. Here he set up the school's popular Natural History Society and arranged the basement of his house to hold its collections including insects. Later he took an external London degree in Botany and Zoology, before marrying and moving to Hailsham, E. Sussex, where he was Head of Department until his retirement in 1993.
Although he studied several insect orders, Coleoptera was always his favourite group. He collected in various parts of Britain but the coastal cliffs near his birthplace in Dorset were his favourite hunting grounds. planned update of Dorset list did not materialise. His finds there and in Sussex included the fourth British record of Platycis cosnardi (Chevrolat); Annomatus deikei Reitter, and Gronops inaequalis Boheman and Raymondionymyx marqueti Aube, both from subterranean pitfall traps. He was also the discoverer of the first British male of Bruchidius various (Olivier). In a note to the writer Hodge noted that although Porter's interest in Coleoptera first emerged in c.1966, he did not start serious collecting until 1976 under Hodge's tutelage.
His immaculately mounted collection which also included other orders was donated to the Booth Museum of Natural History at Brighton'.
Hodge wrote another shorter obituary in Col., 13(1), 2004, 40, and placed a MS fuller version of both obituaries in the BENHS library. The BJENH obituary includes a photograph and full references to his publications. (MD 9/04, 1/22)