Obituary of Edward Benson Porter

Edward Benson Porter, Jr. September 4, 1944 - April 28, 2023 Resident of Santa Cruz Edward Benson Porter Jr., 78, passed away peacefully on April 28, 2023. Ed was born on September 4, 1944 to Edward Benson Porter, Sr. and Winifred Mary Heinrich Porter. He was raised in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan. He attended Holy Name Elementary School and University of Detroit High School. He attended University of Detroit and Electronics Institute of Technology, graduating with a degree in electronics. As a young man, Ed lived in Michigan in the cities of Detroit, Franklin, Birmingham, and Bloomfeld Hills. He moved to California at the age of 21, first living in Sunnyvale and Cupertino before moving to Santa Cruz in 1974. Ed worked at Lockheed, Missile and Space Division taking early retirement as a Senior Aerospace Engineer in the Satellite Control Center in Sunnyvale. In the 1970’s and 80’s he owned North Bay Data Service on Pacific Avenue in Santa Cruz. He was a beloved teacher at Santa Cruz High School. He pioneered the first computer classes in Santa Cruz County. He was instrumental in starting a staff-based policy making board, the Management Team. Ed began to serve on the Santa Cruz City Council in 2000 working on several city committees and advisory commissions. Ed got his pilot’s license while working at Lockheed with the Company flying club. He also had an instrument rating and was a Certified Flight Instructor - he took flying seriously over anything else and was a good pilot until the end. He used to fly to Lockheed in Sunnyvale from a dirt strip at Big Creek Lumber mill up the coast, to beat the commute traffic. He owned a 1947 Republic Seabee amphibious airplane for over 25 years that was a handful to fy and did it well! A few years ago, he sold the Seabee and bought a basic plane - a 1967 Cessna 150, and was in the process of improving and restoring it. Ed’s also had a passion for photography. He took thousands of beautiful photos and for a time, had a business in Santa Cruz called Unique Color Photography. Ed is survived by his sisters Dona M. Porter and Patricia A. Porter, two aunts and many cousins and friends. He is preceded in death by his father in 1985 and his mother in 2011. A Funeral Mass will take place on June 3rd at 1pm at the Shrine of St. Joseph, 544 W. Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz. A Committal Service will follow at Santa Cruz Memorial Park. In Lieu of flowers, Ed would have appreciated planting flowers in his memory or a donation to charity; however, flowers are welcome.