PORTER, Leona Ethel “Dawn”

Of Truro and Dartmouth, died February 11, 2024, in Shannex Lewis Hall, Dartmouth, just weeks before her 100th birthday. Born in Stellarton on May 20, 1924, she lived almost her entire life in Truro, Masstown and Lower Onslow. She was predeceased by her husband, Arthur Porter in 1997; parents, John M Macdonald and Greta (Turpinat) Macdonald; siblings, Eileen Bilby, Rowena Pete, Stuart Macdonald and Avis Steele and an infant sister, Margaret. Dawn is survived by daughters, Linda (Dale) Townsend, Sherry Porter (Doug Hall) and son, Glen (Sheri) Porter; seven grandchildren, Dawna Townsend (Mike Chan), Carolyn Townsend (Andrew Wheelock), Craig Townsend, Mary Porter (Dan Mason), Sarah Porter, Erin Porter (Colin Murphy), Kathleen Porter (Kyle Conrod); stepgranddaughters, Meghan Hall (Ash Seha) and Hilary Hall (Mark Shouldice); eleven beloved great grandchildren and many special nieces and nephews. She is also survived by a dearly loved sister-in-law, Joyce Goodspeed (Porter). Our mother was a “city” girl with no clue about rural life before joining the Porter clan in Masstown when she married Arthur in 1945. Those Porter in-laws became like her own siblings. She learned a great deal from her mother-in-law and when they bought their own farm, she cooked for the hordes of farm workers who came and went over the years, complaining all the time, but would not have had it any other way, and all those meals were sharply at 12 noon, not a minute later. Dawn and Arthur worked hard on the dairy farm, but always made time for weekly dances with great friends. They always said if they didn’t dance on Saturday night, every day would feel the same. Our mother made a point of not being in the barn much, but she was interested and had opinions on everything. There was always a cribbage game going on in the house and beyond, often accompanied by “sore feet” if she was losing. Mum was very involved in the Onslow United Church, the choir in Masstown and Onslow, the UCW and made many wonderful friends in Lower Onslow. Donations to Trinity United Church, 415 Onslow Rd, Upper Onslow, NS B6L 5L2 (obunited@ eastlink.ca) or QEII Eye Care Centre - c/o QEII Foundation, 5657 Spring Garden Rd, Suite 3005, Halifax NS B3J 3R4 (902-334-1546) or the Porter Brothers Dairy Scholarship, Dalhousie University, 6389 Coburg Rd, PO Box 15000, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2 (902-494-8801). A visitation will be held on Friday, February 16th from 1p.m. until time of service at 2 p.m., both in Colchester Community Funeral Home at 512 Willow Street, Truro, NS. Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting: