Warren Porter, University District jeweler, dies at 78
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At Porter and Jensen Jewelers, for 40 years a stylish landmark in the University District, Mr. Porter was a gracious host: warm, welcoming and never forgetting a face or the names of customers' children or — as the years went by — their grandchildren.
He often told his customers: "I guarantee the rings, but not the romance," said his son, Cole Porter. "He sold a little bit of jewelry with a lot of charm."
Mr. Porter, who sold the store and retired in 1999, died early yesterday, surrounded by family members. He was 78 and had been ill with Parkinson's and Alzheimer's for several years.
For more than 40 years, the enterprise, affectionately known as "the store," was a big part of Mr. Porter's life. Often arriving at 5 or 6 a.m. and leaving at 6 or 7 p.m., Mr. Porter worked six days a week, always dressed impeccably, even as University District denizens adopted far more casual attire.
The original store, begun by William Lindenberg in 1924, was acquired by Anchor Jensen and Fred Nielsen in 1944. Mr. Porter bought the store, then known as Jensen and Nielsen, in 1958, and in 1962 moved it next door, to a corner of Northeast 45th Street and University Way Northeast.
For years, as the neighborhood slid from high-end clothing and furniture stores to smoke shops and fast-food restaurants, Porter and Jensen customers braved an eclectic mix of humanity to avail themselves of Mr. Porter's custom-designed jewelry and personal attention.
"He had a big heart and loved to be around people," said Cole Porter, director of photography at The Seattle Times. "That's what made him a really good salesman. He knew lots about everybody — he knew who their kids were, what they did for a living. ... He seemed to be able to draw on that in a heartbeat."
Barb Skoglund, a jewelry designer who was hired by Mr. Porter 15 years ago, marveled at his skill with customers. "He'd sit down, and you'd be overtaken by his presence. He'd tell stories, he'd make you feel absolutely at home — it was an adventure."
The Rev. Dale Turner became one of Mr. Porter's longtime loyal customers after his first visit in 1958.
"He always did things that were extra," Turner said. "At Christmastime, he'd always single something out that was special. He was very, very wonderful."
In 1999, in declining health, Mr. Porter sold the store to employee Josef Waldmann, who in 2002 relocated it to University Village, where it is now also known as Studio Porter Jensen. The store, though now a "boutique" version of the larger store, has maintained the personal-service tradition Mr. Porter began, Waldmann said.
"He was quite the consummate professional in everything he did," Waldmann said.
In his store, employees were treated like family, Skoglund said, and many had worked for him for 15 or 20 years when she arrived in 1989. "He was kind of like a father figure to me — a wonderful, wonderful person to be around. I loved working in the store. He helped me through some difficult times in my life, so I felt like I was blessed."
Mr. Porter was always optimistic about the future of the University District, despite what others considered its deterioration, said Patti Whisler, who staffed a "Little City Hall" in the University District. "He had an unfailing faith that we could do better, and supported anything that would make The Ave look better, act better," Whisler said.
Mr. Porter was an active member of the University District Lions Club and the chamber of commerce there. In 1990, he was among 10 recipients of the Mayor's Outstanding Small Business Award; he also served as president of the Pacific Northwest Jewelers Association.
Mr. Porter, born in Seattle in 1926 to Elsie J. Cole, graduated from West Seattle High School. He served on a Navy destroyer during World War II in the Philippines, and he attended Seattle University. He married Marcia A. Burns of Seattle in 1948. They were divorced in 1978.
Besides son Cole of Kirkland, Mr. Porter is survived by his wife, June Porter of Bellevue; his children, Robyn Marcia Davis of Shoreline, and Erin Elizabeth Peterson of Poulsbo; his stepchildren, Dianne Hahnloser of Santa Fe, N.M., Kimberly Taverniti Martyn of Kennewick and Jeffrey Taverniti of Seattle; nine grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
A private service is planned.
Carol M. Ostrom: 206-464-2249 or costrom@seattletimes.com