D.G. Porterfield

D. G. Porterfield died February 28, 2015. The funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 4, 2015 at Elmwood West United Methodist Church with Rev. David Porterfield and Rev. Amy Wilson Feltz officiating. Entombment will follow at Elmwood Memorial Park. The family will receive friends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3, 2015 at The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road. D.G. was born January 13, 1930 to Gus and Letha Porterfield in Lynn County, Texas. He was reared in Lynn and Garza counties on the South Plains of Texas. After graduating from Post High School in 1947 he also graduated from McMurry College in 1951. D.G. married Aliece Paschall June 3, 1951. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree from Southwestern Medical School at The University of Texas Dallas in 1955. He was licensed to practice medicine in Texas in 1956 after serving three years in the U. S. Military, interning first at Fort Bliss, Texas then stationed at the Second Field Hospital, Munich, Germany serving as the chief physician in ENT. He began his medical practice in Abilene in 1958 and retired in 2003. During his medical career he served one year as President of Taylor-Jones-Haskell Counties Medical Society; as well as offices in the Texas Medical Association. Dr. Porterfield was instrumental in bringing the first post-graduate Medical Training Program to Abilene and Hendrick Medical Center via a Family Practice Residency Program. He was also instrumental in developing Emergency Medical Services at Hendrick Medical Center, culminating in staffing by Physicians trained in Emergency Medicine. Having been reared on the South Plains of Texas, D.G. continued his interest in agriculture, personally operating his ranch in Jones County, using his own innovations in feeding, pasturing and handling of cattle. He was a member of Texas Medical Association and Texas Academy of Family Physicians. He was a long time member of Elmwood West United Methodist Church. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Jim Porterfield, and sister, Margaret Stone. D.G. is survived by his wife, Aliece Porterfield of Abilene; four children, Lisa Ann Bassett and husband Bob of Cypress, TX, Jim Porterfield and wife Aimee of Edmond, OK, David Porterfield and wife Ava of Bryan, TX and Beth Ellen Hotchkin and husband John of Hawley, TX; 11 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Memorials may be made in honor of Dr. Porterfield to Elmwood West United Methodist Church, 1302 S. Pioneer Drive, Abilene, TX 79605; the Salvation Army, 1726 Butternut, Abilene, TX 79602; Meals on Wheels, P.O. Box 903, Abilene, TX 79604; or to the donor’s favorite charity.