Carl Wesley Porter

Carl Wesley Porter, 87, of Concord Church Road, Pickens, peacefully departed this world for his eternal home on Monday, October 14, 2024 at Hospice of the Upstate after a period of declining health.

Born in Pickens on July 13, 1937, Carl was a son of the late John Walter Porter and the late Jessie Lee Meadors Porter. He was a graduate of Adult Education, Pickens High School and earned an Associate Degree in Business from Southwestern Technical College in Sylva, NC.

Carl enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1957 and served tours of duty at Fort Jackson, Korea and Landstuhl, Germany. He remained active in the military as a member of the U.S. Army Reserve, 328th Signal Battalion in Clemson, SC retiring with 20 years of service. For several years he worked in the perpetual care cemetery business. He was co-owner of Fairview Memorial Gardens in Sylva, NC and later the owner and operator of Santa's Christmas Tree Farm in Pickens.

Carl was a member of the Keowee Masonic Lodge, Scottish Rite and a Shriner. He loved children and enjoyed promoting and working with the Hejaz Shrine Circus for several years. He was a very kind man who enjoyed being around people and in his later years, looked forward to going to the Pickens Senior Center where he visited with his many friends. He was a member of Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church in Pickens.

Survivors include his daughter, Ashley Young; granddaughter, Kelcie Ellenburg (Blake); great-granddaughters, McKenna, Wesley and Andie Ellenburg; sisters, Betty Dorsey, Lillie Mae Merck (Randall) and Dorothy Ann Mitchum. He also leaves behind a very special great-niece, Erika Wallace and numerous nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, Carl was predeceased by his only grandson, Wesley Bowen, whom he loved dearly; five sisters, Alice Turner, Essie Whitmire, Margaret Cochran, Frances Collins and Louise Porter; and three brothers, Elbert "Buddy" Porter, James Porter and Jerry Porter.

A man known for his generosity and love for family will be dearly missed by all who knew him. To honor his life and legacy, a celebration of Carl's life will be held at 2:00 PM Sunday, October 20, 2024 in the chapel of Robinson Funeral Home-Downtown, Easley. The family will receive friends from 12:30 PM until 1:45 PM Sunday at the funeral home, prior to the service.

Entombment will follow in the Hillcrest Memorial Park Mausoleum.

Active pallbearers will be Dennis Porter, Jason Porter, Johnny Whitmire, Randall Merck, Wes Trammell and Dylon Waltz. Escorts of Honor will be Gerald Collins, Dan Whitmire and Blake Ellenburg.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in memory of Carl to the Shriner's Hospital for Children, 905 W. Faris Road, Greenville, SC 29605.

Visit RobinsonFuneralHomes.com or Robinson Funeral Home & Crematory-Downtown, Easley.