Wesley Chapel has lost one of its original residents and a key player in the development of the booming area, as Wiregrass Ranch Development of Regional Impact (DRI) developer Don Porter has passed away at age 73.
The family name is prominent around town, most recently unveiled on the sign for the new Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) Porter Campus on Mansfield Blvd., but it’s probable that the college might not even be standing in its current location in the Wiregrass Ranch DRI had it not been for the generosity of Porter and his family, who donated the 65 acres for PHSC’s fifth campus.
Wiregrass Ranch also will be home to a proposed youth baseball facility (Don was an outstanding baseball player at the University of Mississippi in Oxford and even played in the minor league system of the old Houston Colt .45s Major League team), also to be built in the next few years on donated land.
The Porter family’s loss has not been lost on the local community, especially two institutions that make up much of the heart and soul of the growing Wesley Chapel area: Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC) and the Shops at Wiregrass mall, both of which sit on the Porter family’s 5,000-acre property.
“Don Porter’s vision was to transform (Wiregrass Ranch) into a community centered around family, a community with quality health care, education and recreation services for its residents,” says FHWC spokesperson Tracy Clouser. “It was wonderful to work with Don and his family to bring that vision to life. We are truly saddened at his passing, but are inspired by his legacy, which lives on now and still will, in the future.”
Shops at Wiregrass general manager Greg Lenners had similar kind words to share in memory of Porter.
“Wesley Chapel and Pasco County have lost a very important visionary and patriarch of our community,” Lenners says. “During just the short time that I knew Mr. Porter, it was easy to see that he was a very approachable individual and that he was well respected by his peers, as well as others that knew him. His vision for the development of Wiregrass, his significant contributions to our community and future growth of Wesley Chapel is an important legacy that will live on for years to come. Mr. Porter will be missed!”
A memorial service was held for Porter on July 12 at the PHSC Porter Campus (for a recap, turn to page 3 of this issue).
Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Porter family. — Matt Wiley
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