Margaret “Peg” Gwendolyn Porter

Margaret “Peg” Gwendolyn Porter (nee Harper), of Grand Rapids, MI, passed away peacefully on April 24, 2026. Born on January 28, 1929, she led a storied life, one that was marked by numerous adventures and careers.

Peg packed a lot of living in her 97 years. At 18, she left Michigan to travel to California, spending two years in retail sales with a brief stint as a photo model. She returned to Flint, met her first husband and moved to Grand Rapids, where the couple raised three children.

During those years, Peg was active in local theater, holding featured roles in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Deadwood Dick, among others. In the tumultuous 1960s, she joined Fountain Street Church, where she was a member for more than 60 years, and immersed herself in the church’s social and pastoral life. She also joined an anti-racism organization led by Reverend Patterson from True Light Baptist Church. Later, she became a volunteer interviewer in the Kent County 61st District Court’s Release on Recognizance program.

At the end of Peg’s first marriage, she began her career, which consisted of an array of diverse occupations: in customer relations for a local advertising agency, in real estate sales, in the travel industry, and ultimately nursing.

She met her second husband, John J. Porter, at Fountain Street Church. The two married and spent their honeymoon in Providenciales (“Provo”) in the Turks and Caicos Islands, where Peg had visited a few years earlier. John was the love of her life and she willingly joined him on his travels to marathons and in the many social activities they shared. Their brief marriage ended when John succumbed to cancer at the age of 47.

Heartbroken but determined to live a life of service, Peg returned to school to earn her RN degree at Grand Rapids Community College. This allowed her to move to Provo, one of her favorite places on the planet and a place full of happy memories.

Upon graduation, she was hired to serve as the nurse administrator of a small medical clinic in Provo established by a group of American and Canadian doctors. She loved the people of the islands and had many dear friends there, about whom she often spoke in later years.

She served in that role for two years providing healthcare for the most vulnerable island residents. When her position was eliminated, she pivoted to property management for a developer from Kuwait who was building a resort in the islands. Altogether, she lived and worked in Provo for 10 years before returning to Michigan.

Nursing was central to the remainder of Peg’s career. After returning to the States, she served as a private duty nurse for a couple of years, and finally as a part-time nursing assistant in occupational medicine for Spectrum Health, a position she held until she finally retired at the age of 84.

Peg will be remembered for her gift of gab, her desire to be of service, and her stubborn determination in the face of adversity. She was preceded in death by her husband, John J. Porter; daughter, Susan Beth Weaver; parents, Van L. and Maggie Harper; stepmother Eva (Kett) Harper, brother, Van L. Harper Jr.; sister, Oretha Ham; stepbrother, Norman Kett; and first husband, Hugh T. Weaver. We cannot forget her beloved German shepherd, Amber, who had been her daughter Susan’s dog and was Peg’s companion for 10 years.

She is survived by her daughter, Cynthia Dorman; son and daughter-in-law, H. James and Tricia Weaver; former son-in-law, Robert Dorman; grandchildren, Bret (Kelly) Dorman, Haley Dorman, Lauren (Cullen) McCormick; Lawson Weaver; and four great-grandchildren, Kyelar, Evelyn, Quinn, and a baby girl who is expected in May.

Peg was an adventurous spirit and lived her life in amazement of what life had to offer. Her warmth, enthusiasm, grit and spontaneity will be missed by her family and friends.

Visitation will be held from 6-8pm on Friday, May 1, 2026, at O’Brien-Eggebeen-Gerst Funeral Home, 3980 Cascade Road SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 49546. A private interment and memorial will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks for memorial contributions to be made to the Fountain Street Church Foundation, the American Cancer Society, or a local animal welfare organization.