Jessie's Obituary

Jessica Ruth Porter Kid, “Spessie Jessie”, our beautiful daughter, sister , aunt and friend, passed away peacefully, May 12, 2009, surrounded by her family at home. She died at the young age of 34, after a valiant struggle with Pulmonary Hypertension. She will be deeply missed by all those who loved her.

She was born September 21, 1974 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Dale Porter and Sandra Enlow. She was the first born of three daughters. After graduating from Taylorsville High school in 1992, she joined the Army and was stationed at Ft. Jackson South Carolina where she completed Army Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training for the Quartermaster Corps as a Petroleum Supply Specialist. Jessica was then sent to Ft. Hood Texas as a member of the 260th Quartermaster Battalion and was deployed to Somalia for the United Nations "Operation Continue Hope" as a United Nations Peacekeeper and provided necessary logistical support for the many nations involved in the operation to help restore peace and stability to the country of Somalia. Jessica was awarded the National Defense Service Ribbon, The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and a Unit Citation as a part of the Third Army's 13th Sustainment Command. Jessica was Honorably Discharged from the Army in 1994.

She was a federal employee for the United States Postal Service for 14 years. She loved music and was both a talented pianist and a beautiful singer. She had an exceptional mind and was always a straight A student throughout school. She loved her Friday night Borders group of friends. Jessie’s “happy place” was Disneyland. She grew up with her childhood best friend, Kristin Schmidt, and she adored her three handsome nephews.

Jessica is survived by her mother, Sandi and step-father, Jim; sisters, Jenny Ellis (Matt) and Julie Smith; step siblings, Victoria, Deborah & Brian; grandparents, Bobbie Enlow, Veda & Edson Porter; nephews, Connor, Brayden & Bryeson ; step-nieces, Shawndi & Kenzi ; her cat Sissy; many uncles and aunts & even more cousins. Preceded in death by her father, Dale and grandpa, John Enlow. Her family takes comfort in knowing that she is back in their loving arms.
Funeral Services for Jessica will be held at 2:00 pm on Saturday, May 16, 2009 at Redwood Memorial Mortuary, 6500 S. Redwood Rd. Graveside service will be held on Tuesday, May 19th @ 11:00 am at the Utah Veterans Memorial Cemetary located at 17111 Camp Williams Road in Bluffdale, Utah. In lieu of flowers, family requests that you make donations to PHassociation.org to help future research of her disease.

The family would like to thank all of Jessie’s friends who were constantly by her side giving her the love and support she needed until the end. A special thank you to the doctors and nurses in the RICU at IMC in Murray.

Jessie’s strength, courage and will to live were amazing. If she could have beaten this disease with those three things, she would have in a heartbeat.