Growing up in Highland Park, Michigan, Linsey Porter always dreamed of becoming two things: a standout baseball player and the mayor of Highland Park. He made both of his dreams come true; he was a star baseball player for Palo Verde College in California and he became the 30th mayor of his hometown, Highland Park, in 1991.
Porter, 65, passed away Tuesday, June 18, 2019, from complications of pneumonia, his family said. His funeral services were held Friday, June 28, at Soul Harvest Ministries on John R. in Highland Park. Motown Legend Martha Reeves sang “The Lord’s Prayer” and Michigan’s 13th District Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib delivered remarks at the funeral. The funeral procession, led by a horse drawn carriage, traveled southbound on Woodward Avenue starting at Ferris Street and ended at Tennyson. The casket was then transferred to a hearse to make the remainder of the trip to Elmwood Cemetery for Porter’s interment.
Porter was born October 10, 1954 in Highland Park. After college, he entered Highland Park politics in 1979 and was elected to City Council before serving as president of the council in 1987. In 1991, he became the youngest mayor to ever be elected in the city and was also the longest consecutive serving mayor of Highland Park, completing three terms in office, from 1991-2003.
As mayor of Highland Park, Porter faced head-on many of the city’s issues, including crime, unemployment, and business relocation, including Chrysler leaving its birthplace for Auburn Hills in 1991. But Porter never left his beloved city and fought to return it to its glory days.
Near the end of his tenure, Porter oversaw the former Chrysler space transformed into Oakland Industrial Park and brought communications company Budco to town with a $30 million Highland Park headquarters. The longtime mayor brought some $300 million in development to the city during his 12 years in office.
Linsey had been married to his devoted and loving wife Patricia Reid-Porter for over 30 years. After his mayoral career, Porter helped her run two adult foster care facilities and was still an avid baseball player.
“July 2, 2019, would have marked 31 years of marriage and Linsey was the love of my life. What we had was special and I will cherish every beautiful memory,” she said in a statement. “He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, friend and mayor, and was dearly loved by so many. Linsey never met a stranger. He believed in humanity and that we are all connected. When he spoke to the people, they would listen.”
Porter is survived by his wife, daughter, Nikki Suber; and siblings Brenda Stanley, Malvin Porter, Dwight Porter and Dennis Porter.