In Memoriam: Don Porter

The mark of rancher and developer Don Porter is all over north-central Pasco County, from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel to Pasco-Hernando State College to The Shops at Wiregrass, a popular open-air mall.

But to Porter's son, J.D. Porter, the true measure of his dad took place on a baseball field. That's where the elder Porter, a onetime minor leaguer and longtime local little league coach, would stay an hour late to help anyone who wanted to learn. “He led in actions, not words,” says J.D. Porter. “There was never a lot of dancing around a question.”

Don Porter died July 1 after an illness. He was 73.