Porter Fred Loring: Pioneer Funeral Director and Philanthropist in San Antonio (1876–1955)

Porter Fred Loring, funeral director, businessman, philanthropist, and civic leader, was born in Canton, Illinois, on August 15, 1876. He was the son of Fred J. Loring and Mary Grace (Breed) Loring. The family was living in San Antonio, Texas, by the 1890s. At the age of twenty-three, on August 22, 1899, Loring married Rosa Lee Smith in San Antonio. On August 15, 1910, the couple welcomed son Porter Jr., but he died a day later. They divorced prior to 1926, and Loring married Pauline Otto on September 18, 1926. They had a son, Porter Jr., in 1928 and a daughter, Dorothy Pauletta, in 1933.

Although not a high school or college graduate, Loring was an excellent public speaker who enjoyed reading and learning. Initially, he worked for the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad Company. The 1900 census listed him as a clerk; San Antonio city directories later listed him as a station manager. He quickly realized, however, that there was little opportunity for further advancement in the railroad industry. About 1907 Loring developed an interest in the funeral industry and obtained a mortician’s license. He served at Shelley Undertaking Company in San Antonio. Owned by his first wife’s family, the business was located at the corner of Military Plaza and Dolorosa. He later became a partner in the business, which was listed as Shelley-Loring Undertaking Company in the 1910 San Antonio city directory, but left the partnership after his divorce from Rosa Lee.

With a small loan from Old San Antonio National Bank in 1917, Loring started his own undertaking business. He envisioned a funeral home that combined reverence with the comforts of a home setting. Loring purchased a large building across from Travis Park in downtown San Antonio. He designed the funeral home with draperies, decorations, furnishings, and flowers that resembled a home. On May 11, 1918, the first Porter Loring Mortuary opened at 206 Jefferson Street. During the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic, Loring was caught off guard by the surge in business but managed to handle it successfully. Over the years, he expanded the building by including an ambulance service, a chapel, and a fountain. He was the first to employ a motorized hearse in the city and also provided a tent at burial sites in case of inclement weather. Loring was often quoted as saying that he strived for service that showed “respect for the dead and sympathy for the families” in what came to be known as “The Perfect Tribute.” The May 1921 issue of National Magazine praised Loring for making the occupation of funeral director “respectable” and for “humanizing his business.” He was recognized as a pioneer in the industry: “Porter Loring has given the world a new meaning and conception of the business of the professional mortician….”

Almost fifty years after its founding, the funeral home relocated. Once again, careful consideration was given to the colonial architecture, location, and parking for the new site. Ground was broken on February 1, 1963, for the Porter Loring Mortuary at the corner of McCullough and East Elmira. The first funeral service was conducted in January 1964.

Loring’s achievements as a respected citizen, philanthropist, and public servant were well recognized in the early twentieth century. He often led fundraisers and personally supported many causes. In June 1932 the Optimist and Rotary clubs, with which Loring was involved, organized a fundraising baseball game for the Ella Austin Orphanage, now known as the Ella Austin Community Center. The event drew 3,500 attendees, and all proceeds from ticket sales were donated to the orphanage. Loring purchased the equipment for both teams involved in the fundraiser. In 1935 Loring generously donated diving helmets to the San Antonio Fire Department. In February 1936 Governor James V Allred established the Bexar County Board of Parole. Prominent community members were appointed as mentors to guide and support parolees as they reentered society. Among them was Loring, who reflected on the program's impact, noting, "The psychology of feeling that representative people are for them instead of against them is powerful.” In 1937 Loring played a key role in acquiring one of two “iron lungs” for polio patients in San Antonio. Fearing the paralysis epidemic might afflict the city, he contributed financially to one of the two adult-size mechanical respirators. His only request as a donor was that it “shall be available to anyone who needs it, regardless of race, color or situation in life, without cost.” The city recognized Loring as “a friend of humanity” and awarded him the Outstanding Citizen Award that same year.

In April 1942 Loring served as the local chairman for fundraising efforts supporting United China Relief, an organization dedicated to providing aid and rehabilitation to the Chinese people during wartime. Its mission also included informing Americans about conditions in China and strengthening bonds of friendship between the two nations.

Loring held numerous board and executive positions throughout his life. These included positions on the Public School Board (1920), Junior Chamber of Commerce, San Antonio Chamber of Commerce (honorary life member), Circus Fans of America, San Antonio Musical Club, Fiesta de San Jacinto Association (president, 1921), Associated Charities of San Antonio (1937), Rotary Club of San Antonio (president 1917–18, 1919), San Antonio Advertising Club (president), Boys and Girls Club (president), Boy Scout Circus (general chairman, 1940), Boys Club of America (president, 1938), San Antonio Zoological Society (president), Isaak Walton League (president), Alzafar Shrine Temple (potentate, 1934), and the San Antonio Knife and Fork Club. Loring was a member of the National Selected Morticians (president, 1928–30), the National Funeral Directors Association, and the Texas Funeral Directors Association (secretary, 1918). Aside from serving the public, one of Loring’s hobbies included sailing, where he often participated in annual boating competitions. He was a Methodist.

Porter Loring died at age seventy-nine in San Antonio on November 15, 1955, after a short battle with cancer. He was buried next to his wife at Mission Burial Park, where she was laid to rest in 1989. His son took over as president of the company after his death. After four generations of family ownership, Porter Loring Mortuary was sold to Service Corporation International out of Houston in 2024. The business continued to operate under the Porter Loring name and was managed by the Loring family.