A Remarkable Legacy: Rest in Peace, Bill Porter
by Kate Nixon
Collectors of the Arts & Crafts era of antiques, former and current employees of General Motors, and Detroit Art History and design students are paying tribute to a longtime beloved member who has sadly passed on. The National Arts and Crafts Conference and Shows recognizes the legacy set by a scholar, collector, automobile designer, industrial arts teacher, and good friend who supported the conference at the Grove Park Inn in its first year and part of the first generation of Arts and Crafts antique collectors.
William Porter stands in the heritage ballroom during the National Arts and Crafts Conference at the Grove Park Inn. Photo courtesy of Ray Stubblebine.
William Lee Porter, Jr.
May 6, 1931 – April 25, 2025
William Lee Porter Jr, or Bill as we knew him, passed away peacefully in the morning hours of April 25th surrounded by his family at his home. After speaking to his wife Patsy, she shared that he benefited from excellent hospice care and developed friendships with his caretakers who assisted him in the last years of his life. He is survived by his wife Patsy Porter, his son Adam Hampton Porter, his daughters Sarah Porter and Lydia Latocki, brother Thomas Hampton Porter and his three grandchildren, Audrey L. Grabowski, Evan D. Grabowski, children of Sarah, and Payton Porter Latocki, son of Lydia.
Before he came to the Grove Park Inn, Bill had a thriving 37-year career as an automobile designer. After his experience as a Designer for General Motors 1958, Bill’s professional experience grew in the Pontiac Exterior Production Studio under Chief Designer Jack Humbert and held positions in General Motor’s Design Studio, Design Development Studio and Advanced 2 studios. He continued on in the role of Chief Designer, where he directed the design of Pontiacs of the era, including Firebirds, Le Mans, GTOs, Catalinas, Bonnevilles, and Grand Prixs until he retired in 1996.
This 18.5 inch high monumental vase by Pewabic Pottery ($4,000–6,000), previous owned by Don Marek and acquired by the Porters, was sold at auction for $13,860. Photo courtesy of Rago/Wright/Toomey & Co.
“Bill’s experience as an automotive designer enabled him to recognize — years before the rest of us — the inherent design qualities in the works of Gustav Stickley, Charles Rohlfs, Dirk van Erp, Pewabic Pottery, and others.”
– National Arts and Crafts Conference Founder Bruce Johnson
His interest in the connection between the industrial arts and fine art led him into a study of several eras of historic design that blended beauty and function, including the Arts and Crafts movement. The resulting collection was a blend of historic styles that captured historic innovation and the best of Detroit’s own contributions. His life as a teacher at Wayne State University and Detroit’s Center for Creative Studies College of Art & Design cemented his legacy as a scholar and supporter of industrial design students by developing a “Product Design Studio” and an intensive course on the “History of Design Styles”. Upon their retirement, Bill and Patsy designed and built a home in the modern Prairie style, which was of course furnished with the works of Gustav Stickley, Charles Rohlfs, and Charles P. Limbert and other decorative arts examples. The lifelong collection of Bill and Patsy Porter was shown last spring at auction, where monumental works from Pewabic Pottery went to loving collections.
The Collection of Bill and Patsy Porter at auction highlights
Attending the National Arts and Crafts Conference in 1988 directed by founder Bruce Johnson for 35 years, Porter not only shared special insights on the craftsmanship of the antiques, but also originated the idea of the Small Group Discussions.
“Bill’s experience as an automotive designer enabled him to recognize — years before the rest of us — the inherent design qualities in the works of Gustav Stickley, Charles Rohlfs, Dirk van Erp, Pewabic Pottery, and others. But what set Bill and Patsy apart was not just their willingness, but their eagerness, to share their combined insight and experience with other Arts and Crafts collectors,” said Johnson. “Anxious to meet and to exchange experiences with other collectors, it was Bill and Patsy who, in the early years of the conference, suggested the idea of small group discussions to accompany our seminars. Because of them, those discussions became one of the most popular and most educational aspects of every Arts and Crafts Conference. Modest to a fault, they left an indelible impression on everyone they met.”
Photographer Ray Stubblebine and longtime attendee, speaker, and collector of the Arts and Crafts movement Porter after a seminar at the National Arts and Crafts Conference and Shows at the Grove Park Inn. Photo courtesy of Ray Stubblebine.
Bill’s family requests donations be made in his honor to The Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit MI, or to the Scarab Club of Detroit MI. A Celebration of Life is being planned for Bill at The Detroit Institute of Arts and will be announced as it is finalized.
Memories continue to be posted on the wall at the Phillips Funeral Home from his friends from all walks of life including his Arts & Crafts Collector community:
If you have a memory of Bill, post it to the Arts and Crafts Collector facebook page here or post on the Bill Porter memorial wall using the link below.
Obituary for Bill Porter at Phillips Funeral Home