Marianne Harriet Porter, 92, of Socorro, was born in Magdalena December 17, 1931, and died in Albuquerque on March 7, 2024 after a short hospital stay.

She resided in Socorro County her entire life, living as a child with her family on their ranches – Council Rock Ranch (near Magdalena) and at the L/ Ranch east of San Antonio – during summers, and living in Socorro during the school year. She attended Mt Carmel Catholic School through the eighth grade and graduated from Socorro High School in 1950.

Marianne was a kind, giving, and faith-filled woman; she was a lifelong member of San Miguel Catholic Church and their administrator for twenty-two years. Marianne worked at First State Bank as a senior in high school and remained there until she married in 1952. She was both a bookkeeper and teller, and met her future husband Al Porter (a new teacher from Texas) at the bank, as he always made a point to stand in her teller line to flirt with her. Al and Marianne married on June 14, 1952, and had three children, Denise, Al Jr. and Randy. Marianne was a full-time homemaker during her children’s formative years. She was an excellent cook and baker and was often asked to make her famous potato salad for family picnics, her delicious pound cake for family birthdays, and pecan pies with the best homemade crust you ever tasted for the holidays. Marianne shuttled not only her own children but also some of her nieces to school, swim lessons, and other activities. She also quietly helped many people in the community through the years. Once her children were all in school, Marianne started her job at San Miguel, first as a volunteer and then as their secretary and administrator. In retirement, Marianne continued helping friends and neighbors, lunched weekly with her sister and other dear friends, and enjoyed much more time with her also-retired husband Al to whom she was happily married for sixty-four years, until his death in 2016.

Marianne was preceded in death by her husband, Al, her parents Michel and Frances Harriet, daughter Denise, and siblings Grace Harriet Bruton and Michel Harriet, Jr. She is survived by many family members who will dearly miss her: sister Alice Caldwell Duquet of Socorro; two sons, Al Porter (and wife Cherri) of Albuquerque, and Randy Porter of Socorro; granddaughter Rebecca Kemper (husband Ben Larrimer and their sons William and Charles) of Columbus, Ohio, granddaughter Chelsea Moss (husband Brandon and children Hudson, Winston, and Berkley) of Albuquerque, grandson Michel Porter (wife Vivian and sons Jaxon and Mason) of San Diego, CA, grandson, Kyle Porter of Denver, CO, and granddaughters McKenna and Maddux Porter of Roswell. She is also survived by many cherished cousins, nieces, nephews, and godchildren.

A memorial rosary will be held on Tuesday, April 2 at 9:30 a.m. at San Miguel Catholic Church in Socorro, to be immediately followed by a memorial funeral mass. In lieu of flowers, please donate in Marianne’s memory to San Miguel Catholic Church (https://www.sdc.org/~smiguel/ ).

El Defensor Chieftain