Louis J Porreco

Louis John Porreco, age 78, of Palm Beach, Florida and Erie, Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, on Sunday, May 3, 2015, at his Palm Beach residence. He was born in Erie, on September 18, 1936, son of the late Ralph A. Porreco and Claire Delfino Porreco Dougherty. He graduated from East High School and attended Western Reserve University and Gannon College. He served as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division from 1955-1958. He was manager of the Tourist and Convention Bureau and Director of Public Relations for the Greater Erie Chamber of Commerce. During the height of the Berlin Crisis in 1961, he formed the Rad-Safe Fallout Shelter Co., designing and constructing outdoor and basement fallout shelters. He formed the Canadian Holiday Lines Steamship Co. in 1962, and purchased and operated the largest passenger ship on the Great Lakes, the S.S. North American, with service between Erie, Pa. and Port Burwell, Ontario, Canada. He was regional director for the John B. Rogan Producing Co. in 1963 and 1964, as well as vice president of the Mrs. America Pageant. He became a car dealer in 1965, owning and operating over 20 different franchises in Northwest Pennsylvania and South Florida. He served as president of the Erie County Auto Dealers Assn. from 1969 to 1974, and organized and produced Erie County's first Auto Show in 1970. He continued to own and operate Porreco Nissan and Bianchi Honda in Erie, Pa. He served as president of the Erie Municipal Airport Authority from 1968 through 1986, and returned as a board member from 2000 to 2002 and president from 2003 through 2009. He was confirmed by the Board of Directors of the Erie Regional Airport Authority as its President Emeritus in 2009. He formed the Miracle Mile Merchant's Association in 1969. He was a Gannon University Trustee from 1989 to1998, promoter of regional sports, founding the Gannon University Porreco Cup Basketball Tournament in 1974, and the World Bout Championship of Horseshoes in Erie in 1970. He promoted the WBA lightweight championship of the world, between Lou Bizzarro and Roberto Duran, which was world televised from Erie in 1976, was a prolific manager and promoter of boxing from 1969 to 1985, managing the careers of six fathers and sons of the Bizzarro family, as well as numerous other boxers. He was an owner and trainer of thoroughbred race horses from 1973 through 2001, racing and winning at almost every racetrack east of the Mississippi River. Lou was an active supporter of Commodore Downs racetrack in Fairview, Pa., serving as a member of the board of directors. He was deeply devoted to thoroughbred racing with a lay-up and breeding farm in Erie County and a training center in Aiken, S.C. Based upon a 1986 handshake with the Edinboro University President, Foster Diebold, he gifted his 27-acre estate home in Millcreek to Edinboro University, to honor the aunt who raised him, Mary A. Porreco, who was a two-time graduate of Edinboro College. That gift has now become the Porreco College with 463 students enrolled in the fall 2014 semester, at tuition rates no more expensive than those of a standard community college. He was extremely entrepreneurial, owning a wide and diverse range of businesses, in addition to auto agencies, spanning seven decades, which included: four fine dining restaurants, Erie Cab Co., Erie Metropolitan Taxi Co., Erie Yellow Cab, Porreco Rent-A-Car, Inquip Industries, Erie Waterfront Development Co., Peninsula Realty, Inc., Cross Buck Farms, Millcreek Cattle Co., A-1 Leasing, Porreco Real Estate, LLC, South Coast Construction Co., and Quality Motors. He was a licensed instrument rated, multi-engine pilot and passed the U.S. Coast Guard Captain's exam for 100 ton vessel operation. His White Eagle Yachts have provided tens of thousands of dollars to local charities. He served on numerous charitable boards, including The Erie Community Foundation, St. Vincent's Board of Corporators, Community Health Net, S.S. Niagara Museum Board Chairman, and the Edinboro University President's Council. . He was inducted into two divisions of Chivalry – The Niadh Nask of Ireland 1997 and The Royal Order of Svebiae in 1996. He was an active member of the Erie Yacht Club, The Palm Beach Yacht Club, The Mar-A-Lago Club of Palm Beach, the Palm Beach Roundtable, the LeClub Intercontinental of Palm Beach, and the International Society of Palm Beach. He was a past member of the Erie Club, Kahkwa Club, Lake Shore Country Club, Lake View Country Club, The Breakers Golf Club of Palm Beach, Mayacoo Lakes Country Club, Lauderdale Yacht Club, Green Boundary Club of Aiken, S.C., and The Aiken Tennis Club. He is survived by his devoted wife of 17 years, Debra "White Dove" (Custalow) Porreco, whose loving, caregiving spirit had provided him with the most joyous years of his life; daughters, Christina Caye Campbell (Dr. Gerald Campbell), Erie, Pa. and Mary A. Porreco, Erie, Pa.; sons, Louis J. Porreco, Jr. (Evie), Carlisle, Pa., Josh M. Porreco, and Jason M. Porreco, Erie, Pa.; four grandchildren, Dr. Ashley Campbell, Nicole Campbell, Lexi Campbell, and Ryan Campbell; and two half-brothers, Mike and Timothy Dougherty.