Clyde Porter, 79; Valley Businessman, Eclectic Philanthropist
Clyde Porter, 79, a philanthropist who supported cultural activities in the San Fernando Valley, died Tuesday of brain cancer at home in Hidden Hills, his wife, Nancy, said.
Porter went to work in the 1950s with his father at P.L. Porter Co., which made reclining seats for cars and airplanes, and opened the company’s aerospace division in Woodland Hills.
In 2000 the nonprofit foundation he started bought a former Masonic lodge in Canoga Park, renovated it and turned it into the West Valley Playhouse, a home for community theater. For years, he helped support free concerts at Warner Center Park in Woodland Hills.
He also donated time and money to Haven Hills, a center for victims of domestic violence, and in 1994 was awarded the Fernando Award for his volunteer efforts in the Valley.
Born Sept. 9, 1926, in Santa Monica, Porter attended UCLA before earning an engineering degree at the University of Idaho.
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