Harriet Ann Holmes Porter

Harriet Ann Holmes Porter, 87, of Brandon, Mississippi, passed away on October 23, 2026, at her home with her husband of 66 years at her side.

She was born August 4, 1939, in Canton, Mississippi, to the late Hallie Christian Holmes and Rudolph Henry Holmes, Jr.

Harriet survived childhood polio at age 12 and went on to become a cheerleader at Canton High School and at the University of Mississippi, where she studied business and graduated in just three years. A devoted member of Delta Delta Delta sorority, as was her mother, she later took great joy in the fact that both of her daughters and her granddaughter followed in her footsteps as Tri Deltas.

On July 3, 1960, she married Lt. Richard “Dick” Gillespie Porter in Canton, MS. Together they raised two daughters, Harriet “Chris” Christian Porter and Margaret Holland Hartig.

Harriet loved to paint, cook, and garden, and she loved the beach. She was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother whose greatest pride was her family. She and her husband Dick were members of Lakeside Presbyterian Church for 50 years, and early members of the Jackson Yacht Club. She retired from Owens & Minor as a medical sales representative and enjoyed a brief career as a real estate agent. In retirement, she enjoyed her weekly bridge club meetings and held a leadership position in the River of Pearls Historical Questers.

She is survived by her husband, Col. Richard G. Porter, USAF Ret.; her daughters, Harriet “Chris” Christian Porter of Vicksburg, MS, and Margaret Holland Hartig (Curt) of Chicago, IL; her beloved grandchildren, Ella Margaret Hartig and William Porter Hartig; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brothers, Rudolph Henry Holmes III and Charles David Holmes.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to Lakeside Presbyterian Church in Brandon, MS, or French Camp Academy in French Camp, MS.

There will be a graveside interment for family at the Canton City Cemetery on Friday, October 30, at 2 p.m. A Celebration of Life and Memorial Service will be held at noon on Tuesday, November 24, with visitation beginning at 11 a.m. at the Wright and Ferguson Funeral Home in Flowood, MS. All who knew and loved Harriet are invited to attend.