Crawford Alexander (C.A.) Porter, Sr.

Crawford Alexander “C.A.” Porter, Sr., age 99, passed away peacefully at home September 11, 2023. He was born in Concord on February 27, 1924, to Charles Davis Porter, Sr. and Mary Willie Gillon Porter.

C.A. graduated from Concord High School in 1942 and attended The Citadel his freshman year. Pursuing his fascination from an early age with airplanes, he voluntarily enlisted in the US Army in June 1943, earning high marks on the pilot aptitude test. During basic training, he was the first basic cadet to solo an AT-6. He received his Certificate of Proficiency and Class Flying Award in December 1944 and Army Air Force wings in March 1945.

When World War II ended, he voluntarily separated from the service, returning to Concord. C.A. then attended N.C. State and Catawba College. His love of flying continued. During and after this time, he spent weekends piloting a surplus BT–13, performing stunts at airshows. He enjoyed the thrill that came from flying and was known by many seasoned pilots as having an extraordinary piloting ability. Some thought he was a daredevil –– in reality, he was very deliberate, scouting in advance any airspace where he planned to perform aerobatics.

In the late 1940s, C.A. found a greater love. Through a family friend, he met a gracious, charming, and pretty nursing student from Charlotte, Margaret Louise Peoples. Soon after, while Margaret was spending a weekend with friends at Lake Lure, he dropped a wax-sealed parachute package with her name on it into the lake. It held a dozen red roses. Margaret and her friends watched C.A.’s aerial show from a boat on the lake and retrieved the package. In February 1948, Margaret and C. A. were married.

His aerial adventures continued as C.A. and Margaret raised four children. In 1958 he purchased and restored a 1939 Piper Cub. He built a rack that he attached to the wing struts, enabling him to release packages with parachutes he opened by pulling a cord. Locating rural houses where children came outside to wave when he flew over, he performed barrel rolls, wingovers, and loops to entertain them. Every Christmas Eve for years, he dropped Christmas presents for these children. When his children went to camp in the NC mountains, he performed aerial shows to the delight of all the campers, including loops and rollovers. As a finale, he dropped packages containing enough Black Cow suckers for everyone at camp. Many friends and family were delighted to fly with him—aerobatics optional.

C.A. was also a life-long motorcycle enthusiast. As a young boy, he worked at Porter Drugstore, the family business, as a prescription delivery boy, soda jerk, janitor, and whatever else his dad told him to do. As a teen, he enjoyed riding the drugstore’s motorcycles on delivery routes. After business hours, he would sneak a motorcycle out and take many friends on adventures. On his 85th birthday he set a goal of riding one of his motorcycles on I-85 at 85 mph, which he accomplished.

Throughout his adult life, C.A. was a successful businessman. He was known to be an accomplished designer, builder, mechanic, and woodworker. He founded A & M Glass Company and later founded Porter Manufacturing Company. In 1974 he had the opportunity to establish Vandex of the Carolinas, a commercial and industrial concrete waterproofing business, which he and his son Alex operated for 20 years. He also invested in real estate. Because he had often landed there, farmland he bought in the 1950s became a large residential subdivision in the 1990s. The developer named it “Porter‘s Landing.”

C.A. was very charismatic with a complex personality. He was intelligent, clever, competitive, and quick-witted. No one could out-talk him. Also, he was extremely charitable and generous to anyone he felt moved to help. He enjoyed the outdoors and traveling, renting boats on the Okefenokee Swamp to stalk alligators, and delighting in attractions such as bungee swings and zip lines.

When Margaret’s health began to decline in the early 2000s, C.A. converted their bedroom into a fully equipped hospital room and provided 24/7 caregivers. She passed away at home in 2013 after 65 years of marriage.

His children, grandchildren, and his great-grandchildren were always a special source of joy. The great-grands visited often and played various indoor games with him, even as his health declined.

In addition to his parents and his wife Margaret, C.A. was preceded in death by his brother Charles Davis Porter, Jr. He is survived by children Alex Porter, Jr. (Teresa), Marilyn Porter, Cordelia Andrews (Greg), and Cynthia Porter; his much-loved grandchildren: Preston Porter (Sadie), Alexandra Porter, Ford Koch (Jia Jia), Porter Koch (Sara), Baylor Koch, Laura Andrews (Kristin Richards), Mary Margaret Hester (Michael), Rachael Dennis (Weston); and 10 great-grandchildren.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 am on Wednesday, September 20, 2023 at Wilkinson Funeral Home chapel, officiated by Rev George Slaton, with burial to follow at Oakwood Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 9:30 am-10:45 am prior to the service.

C.A. and his family were blessed with devoted and loving past and present caregivers: Dr. Ronald Pollock, Sandy Collins, Beverly “Hoppy” Mantooth, Tracy Hogue, Winnie Baker, Janice Jones, Patty Martin, Kyndra Munn, Sue Rigot, Carrieanne Wainwright, and Megan Sloop.

In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests that you consider a donation in memory of C. A. to Carolinas Palliative and Hospice Care, 920 Church St. North, Concord, NC 28025.