In memory of
Elizabeth Porter (Betty)
Elizabeth (Betty) Porter SRN passed away peacefully on 8 January 2025 in Poole hospital, aged 88. Beloved wife of David for nearly 65 years, mother of Ruth and Frances, grandmother of Olivia, Joshua, Thomas and Oliver. She will be missed by family, friends and all who knew her.
Betty was born in Southmead Hospital Bristol on the 17 May 1936 but when Bristol became a target for the Luftwaffe in 1940, she and her mother moved to live with her grandparents in Worcestershire. Her early years were like so many experienced at that time, in and out of air raid shelters using candlelight, with no gas or electricity. Despite this, she enjoyed raising the bantam chicks at her grandparents, fruit picking in their orchard and singing practise in the local cathedrals. It was during this time a school teacher shortened her name to Betty to deal with the multiple Elizabeth’s in her class!
Betty left school at 17 and was accepted by the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Hospital in Oswestry to commence training in orthopaedic surgery. Attending night school to attain the A-level she required to achieve her diploma, she also worked in theatre with John Charnley when he was just starting his research in to the first hip replacement. It was while at Oswestry she met David, on the 4 March 1954. Betty then had a short spell away from nursing before returning to training and qualifying in 1960, just before she and David married and left for Kenya, where David had received a posting to serve with the Kings African Rifles.
At the age of 24 Betty was appointed Matron of an African Hospital in Nanyuki. The hospital had 54 beds but 3 times as many patients, a large maternity wing and a casualty department. There were some local staff to support Betty, but she was lucky if she saw a doctor any more than 3 times a week. Away from work, Betty and David’s time in Africa was sociable with plenty of golf, tennis, fishing and sailing to be enjoyed. Betty also enjoyed lots of travel, alongside David, on safaris throughout Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zanzibar and Rhodesia.
David was then posted to North Devon, where they bought their first home and a sailing boat before jetting off again to Hong Kong for another overseas tour. They returned to Devon and welcomed their two daughters, Ruth and Frances, before David completed his final postings in Gloucester, Germany and Wiltshire.
In 1981 they chose to settle in Poole and Betty took the opportunity to work as a school nurse and health visitor while the girls were growing up, ensuring she was at home during the school holidays. Betty joined Parkstone Flower Club, where she became secretary and then chairman. Her interests extended to Poole Fine Arts, Inner Wheel, volunteering for Lewis Manning and The Soroptimists.