Steve Randall Porter

On May 20th, 2026, our cherished Steve Porter left this Earth in the same fashion in which he lived every day of his life – bringing people together. He was surrounded by family and friends who gathered to say goodbye with many tears and even more laughter.

Steve Randall Porter (aka ‘Poot,’ ‘Porter,’ ‘Big Daddy,’ ‘Uncle Steve,’ ‘Uncle Porter,’ ‘Stevie’, depending on your flavor!) was born August 26, 1960, in the booming metropolis of Hope Mills, NC. The second of two sons, he was definitely the rambunctious yang to his quieter brother’s (Ken’s) yin. He was every teacher’s favorite class clown, and every schoolmate’s favorite jokester. But it was not all shenanigans with Steve – he did well in school and graduated from South View Senior High School in 1978. In a notable achievement of service, he was elected President of the Key Club as a sophomore and, over his junior year, led much needed reforms for the well-regarded organization.

Go west young man…from there Steve found his way to Appalachian State University. Despite Watauga being a dry county at that time, Steve managed to find a way to party more and study less. It seems Yosef the Mountaineer was no match for our friend Steve! So come closer to home he did and found his way to his beloved UNC.

Steve bled Carolina Blue. His favorite song was James Taylor’s “Carolina in My Mind.” He would always tear up whenever he heard it played. Steve worked hard at Carolina where he developed a love for history and an ambition for law. He graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in 1985.

Despite his father’s hopes that his sons would join the family business in Hope Mills, both sons aspired to spread their wings and forge their own paths – Ken in academia and Steve in law.

Steve attended law school at North Carolina Central University where he met his lifelong friend, Mark Terrell, with whom he shared more than enough good trouble (and let’s admit it – plenty of bad trouble too!). The story of their meeting is notorious…but not appropriate for print here…if you don’t know you’ll have to ask! Steve graduated from the NCCU School of Law in 1988.

It was while in law school that Steve welcomed his treasured daughter into this world on his very birthday. Elizabeth Fell Porter was born August 26, 1987.

Elizabeth was the love of Steve’s life, his reason for being, his north star. Theirs was a father-daughter relationship like no other. They were best friends, so it was only fitting that every year they would celebrate their joint birthdays together.

From law school, Steve’s career and personal life took him briefly to Rochester, NY, where he worked at a large law firm and was wholly miserable both up north and in big law. He followed his heart and returned to his beloved North Carolina.

Steve settled in Wilmington and ‘put up a shingle’ – opening his own solo practitioner law firm, primarily focused on criminal defense. It was in this capacity that Steve truly expanded his fan base.

Steve’s clients respected, esteemed, and appreciated him in a way most attorneys will never know or experience. Clients often hate their lawyers (sometimes rightfully so!), but Steve’s clients put their full faith in him, often in very trying and life altering circumstances. Steve always did right by them and their trust. Steve’s brilliance as an attorney and his ability to finesse good results for his clients was rooted in his ability to forge and foster personal relationships with people from all walks of life with no judgement, which was his greatest and most admirable gift.

The legal community worshipped Steve. He walked into the New Hanover and Pender County courthouses and immediately became a rock star. Steve would light up the courthouse like a Christmas Tree! His jovial personality and penchant for telling (mostly inappropriate) jokes and stories garnered him more friendships than most folks would have the capacity to handle. But Steve never ran out of love. Steve’s buoyant nature made a generally otherwise unpleasant place feel like happy hour! Five minutes of bantering with Steve would bring joy to the rest of your day. Everyone he met adored him – his fellow defense bar, prosecutors, bailiffs, clerks, law enforcement, judges, and the custodians. The courthouse will never be the same without Steve.

Make no mistake, Steve’s fan base was not limited to his profession. Steve made friends wherever he went. He could (and did) charm the socks off of everyone he met. Steve loved easily and was easy to love in return.

Steve also had the pleasure in life of watching his nephew, Jason Porter, whom he adored, grow and thrive. Jason was the son Porter never had. And Jason likewise adored his Uncle Steve. Jason attended UNCW for undergraduate and graduate school, and Uncle Steve wasted no time taking him under his wing and teaching him the proper way to enjoy the college scene. How much of that was Steve just looking out for his nephew, or Steve trying to relive his own college glory days…well, that doesn’t really matter does it?!

One would be remiss to fail to mention Steve’s love for Myrtle Beach. Although it was the northern Carolina that was always on his mind, Steve never missed an opportunity to travel south of the border to visit his “Myrtle Vegas” – as he coined the Sin City of the East Coast. Steve loved to tan it up on the beach all morning, and then ride his beach cruiser up and down the strip all afternoon and night. He certainly kept the local bartenders in business serving him his high-class specialty … an ice-cold Budweiser, better known as his “Bud Heavy!”

Steve was a doting and loving son. There was nothing he wouldn’t, or didn’t, do, for his parents. He spent every possible moment he could with his folks, especially during their respective illnesses and last days. A parent could not have felt any more love and kindness from their child than that which Steve gave them until their last breath. Even after their death, he travelled back to Hope Mills regularly to care for the family home. That is, in fact, how he spent his last days – taking care of the family legacy.

Steve tragically lost his sweet and cherished Elizabeth on December 24th, 2011. He held her hand as she left this world and promised to see her again one day. Steve’s heart broke that day in a way that could never recover.

Steve is preceded in death by his father, Kenneth Ware Porter; his mother, Evelyn Fell Porter, and his daughter, Elizabeth Fell Porter. He is survived by his brother, Ken Porter (Angela), and his nephew, Jason Samuel Porter (Alise), and their three children, whom he loved dearly, Olive, Miles, and Winston.

By far, Steve’s greatest gift to this world is his ability, even in death, to bring people together in friendship, fellowship, and community. In his last hours, his vast circle of loved ones gathered to mourn, but also to celebrate a life well lived. So many stories were remembered and retold with just as much laughter as always, but also with sorrow.

We take solace, peace, and comfort knowing Steve is reunited with his parents and Elizabeth – she is finally back in his strong arms.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the charity of your choice in honor and memory of Steve.

If you have a story to share about Steve, please leave a comment below. Don’t be afraid if you need to censor a few items – to be expected!

With Love, the Porter family and friends.