Victor E. Porter

Victor E. Porter, 57 of Windfall died on Thursday, November 3, 2016 in Indianapolis. He was born in Tipton on March 9, 1959 to Franklin Delano & JoAnne Marie (DeLaVergne) Porter. He married Dee Ann Planalp on September 24, 1988 and she survives. He currently was a much-loved and respected paleontologist at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.

Victor graduated from Tri-Central High School in 1978. He was the former general manager at J. Lewis Small Company in Elwood; was a former well driller and plumber at Porter Drilling Company and a self employed jeweler for 40 years. He volunteered at the Indiana State Museum since 1985 and participated on many mastodon and mammoth digs in Indiana. Victor worked on Peccary Cave digs for 30 years and volunteered with Black Hills Institute of Geological Research on numerous dinosaur and fossil digs since 1987 as a self-taught paleontologist. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge and Past Master and belonged to the Scottish Rite. Victor loved his museum work and his family.

Through the years Victor’s illness required him to have three kidney transplants which he received through gifts from his brother, sister-in-law and daughter.

Survivors, besides his wife Dee Ann, include his parents of Windfall, one daughter Victoria Porter and husband Clayton Smith, Indianapolis, one son, Alexander Porter at home, one brother, Virgil “Bud” Franklin Porter and wife JeanaMarie, Sharpsville, one sister, Lisa Jewell Clark and husband Andy, Windfall; his mother-in-law, Helen Planalp, Tipton and a large extended family.

Funeral services for Victor will be at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 9 at Rock Prairie Baptist Church, 421 Ash Street, Tipton with Pastor Kevin Carr presiding. Visitation will be from 3:00 – 8:00 p.m. Tuesday and from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Wednesday, all at the church. Burial will be in Brookside Cemetery, Windfall at a later date. Young-Nichols Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

Memorial contributions in Victor’s honor may be made to the Paleontology Lab at the Children’s Museum, 3000 N. Meridian Street, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46208 or to Donate Life America, 701 East Byrd Street, 16th Floor, Richmond, Virginia, 23219.

Following the funeral on Wednesday the Austin Masonic Lodge will have a memorial service for Victor at the Masonic Temple, 122 N. Main Street, Tipton. The service is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. and the public is invited.