In tribute: Jesse Merl Porter never turned down the unfortunate

Jesse Merl Porter of Portales, who died Oct. 4 at the age of 81, was well known for his fairness, generosity and belief in people.

He served as Roosevelt District Magistrate Judge from 1972 to 1999.

"I can tell you my dad was an extremely fair and honest person," daughter Kristi Cacy said.

His son, Alan Porter said: "He never turned down anyone who was just plain unfortunate."

Cacy said her father "really impacted people's lives - not only us kids but people in the community. This woman stopped me in the store the other day and told me my dad really made a difference in her son's life. If it weren't for him, her son would be in prison or dead by now."

"He always helped people and gave them a second chance. He was just a really fair man," Cacy said.

He enjoyed camping in Nogal Canyon and used to take the family water skiing on the lake, she said.

"He loved his cows, he loved his kids and he thought the world of his grandkids," she added. "My dad loved everybody and everybody loved and respected my dad."

He had one other child, Christopher Porter, who predeceased him, she said. "My father always called him 'Sunny Boy.'"

His good friend John Gentry said: "I had a lot of respect for him. A lot of people say someone is a good person, but he really was. He helped a lot of people through the way he handled cases as a judge."

A "dear friend" Debbie Lambirth said: "He and his wife Mildred were one of the first on board to donate the land on which Roosevelt General Hospital is constructed."

"The last time I saw him in person was at our hospital in the emergency room after he had broken his leg," Lambirth said. "He was in the process of being shipped to Lubbock. While I was holding his hand and talking to him, all he could do was laugh and smile and talk about his life and friends in Portales. He was always such a positive person."

Betty Williamson said she knew him and the family well. "The kids were similar ages. We always knew who each other were."

Williamson said she remembers Jesse for his kindness and decency.

"He must have been running for re-election and we were at somebody's house stuffing envelopes," she said. "He was just the kind of person you would want to spend time around."

Porter, people said, was a judge widely known for giving people second chances and expecting them not to waste that chance.

"He really believed in the goodness of humanity," Williamson said. "I believe that he used his position on the bench to really reinforce that in people."