Johnna Albee Sproul Porter, of Marietta, Ga., died peacefully in her home, surrounded by loving family, on Sept. 23, 2023, at the age of 77.
Johnna was born on Nov. 26, 1945, in Damariscotta, to Edward Drummond Sproul and Barbara Alberta Erskine Sproul. She is survived by her loving husband, Alan Porter; daughter, Jennifer Berg and her husband, Dominik; son, Jonathan Porter and his wife, Ashlan; grandsons, Theodor, Nikolas, and Davis Berg, and Gray and Drummond Porter; sisters, Sandra Woodbury, Suzanne Blake, and Jolene Clement; and many nieces and nephews, along with many more family and friends.
Johnna graduated from Lincoln Academy in Newcastle, where she captained the girls basketball team and was honored with the Achievement Cup for her class. Then, after graduating from the University of Maine at Orono, Johnna began her long and rewarding career as a teacher, which allowed her the opportunity to live and work on four continents. Johnna treasured the ability to teach, ultimately finding her niche in second and third grades. Always striving to improve, Johnna obtained a master’s degree from the University of South Florida and achieved significant recognition for her abilities in the classroom, including induction into the Delta Kappa Gamma society for top educators.
In her early 20s, Johnna combined her calling as a teacher with her love of travel and eagerly joined the Department of Defense, moving overseas to teach at U.S. military bases. Johnna’s first assignment was one year in the Philippines and second was in Wertheim, Germany, where she met a young helicopter pilot named Alan, who was stationed in Germany following service in Vietnam. Johnna and Alan were inseparable ever since, enjoying 52 years of marriage and adventures.
Together, they traveled the world, living on several continents, including two years in Sydney, Australia, and traveling to many, many more.
Johnna and Alan’s love of travel only grew when they had kids, who they raised in Marietta, Ga. The Porters treasured return trips to where Johnna and Alan met in Germany, visits to the beach and family in the St. Petersburg, Fla. area, and also regular trips back to Maine, as the family grew to consider Boothbay Harbor and Pemaquid Point as a second home. Johnna loved nurturing her garden and learning new crafting techniques, and was especially known for her handmade greeting cards, which she sent to beloved family and friends for decades. Through her years in the south, Johnna was an active community volunteer and was often found supporting her kids’ schools through the PTA. She also grew into a loyal fan of the Atlanta Braves, cheering them on until her final days. Johnna greatly valued her relationships with her sisters and her friends, but cherished most of all her beloved husband and children, who are eternally indebted to Johnna for her decades of unconditional and selfless love.
A celebration of life will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023 at SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society at 595 Franklin Gateway SE in Marietta, Ga. For those able to attend, please dress casual and colorful to honor Johnna’s joy and positive spirit. While she now resides in heaven for all eternity, her earthly ashes will be scattered at Pemaquid Point at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to her local Meals on Wheels chapter, where Johnna volunteered her time delivering meals for over a decade, at cobbcounty.org/senior-services/volunteer/donate.
