June 27, 1924 - May 14, 2018

B. John "Jack" Porter passed away on Monday, May 14, 2018 at Essentia Health, Spooner, Wisconsin. 
Jack was born on June 27, 1924, in Volga, Wisconsin to Roland (Stub) and Dorothy Porter. He attended school and graduated from Amery in 1942. Jack drove a Model A car to school from the dairy farm in Volga where he lived with grandparents Charlie and Bertha Adams, while his parents worked elsewhere.

Jack played football and was captain of the football team his senior year. Jack wasn’t able to play basketball, although he really wanted to, because of late, dark nights and too much work to be done on the farm.

Jack joined the Army Airforce in 1943. While there, he met and became friends with Louis Hill (Hills Bro. Coffee). Because of his friendship with Louis, he stayed at the estate of Metro Goldwyn Mayer and attended the wedding of Shirley Temple Black. As a lieutenant in the Army Air Force, he flew B-17 bombers. He was ready to go overseas when the bombs were dropped in Japan. 

Jack married Arla Fae Aasmundrud on November 16, 1946 in Amery Wisconsin. They built a home in Amery where he worked for Wisconsin Hydroelectric (later NSP and then Excel). In 1952 they moved to Shell Lake where he worked for NSP until he retired in 1983 at age 59.

Jack and Arla loved to travel. After his retirement he went to work for Peterson Boatworks. He and Arla would travel and deliver items all over the United States.

They loved to spend time outdoors; camping with friends, water activities and traveling. They spent a few winters in Texas and Arizona.

Jack was involved with many groups throughout his life; including the Lions Club, Cemetery Board, and Home for Elders Board. He was a game warden, deputy sheriff, and a DeMolay dad, and Master Mason.

He loved to hunt birds and deer, and especially loved his time at the hunting camp with his family. Over the years, he fished, enjoyed waterskiing, swam into his late 80s and loved to pontoon on Shell Lake. Jack was a “McGyver” kind of guy who could fix anything and invent solutions or had the part to do it. He was an avid card player. Jack also loved to play great practical jokes on his friends.

He was a member of the United Methodist Church in Shell Lake.

Jack was preceded in death by his wife of 59 years, Arla Fae. He is survived by his four children: Judy (Gary) Cuskey of Spooner, Janet (Eric/Smokey) Johnson of Port Wing, Tom (Lynda) Porter of Eau Claire, and Pam (Jim) Hundt of Eau Claire. Twelve grandchildren: Joe(Ali) Cuskey, Carrie (Jamie) Busch, Jon (Geri) Cuskey, Jayme (Scott) Gundlach, Jeffry (Brittney) Johnson, Jessica Johnson, Benjamin (Sarah) Hundt, Jennifer Hundt (Benjamin), Brian (Kaitlyn) Hundt, Nicholas Hundt. Jack has 18 great-grandchildren. will be held at Skinner Funeral Home in Shell Lake on Wednesday , May 16 from 4-7:00 PM, with a Masonic service to follow. Funeral services will be held at the United Methodist Church in Shell Lake on Thursday, May 17 at 11:00 with visitation for 1 hour prior.

If so desired, memorial contributions may be directed to Glenview Assisted Living-Shell Lake and the United Methodist Church-Shell Lake. The family would like to thank the staff of Glenview Assisted Living and Essentia Health Spooner Hospital for the kind, loving, and dedicated care they provided.

Last Update: Dec 16, 2018 5:45 pm CST