Dr. Edward Clay Bernard Green Martin White Active Pallbearers Rhashii Booth Terrence Brooks Derwin Penn C e l e b r a t i n g T h e L i f e of Erwin W. Portis Erwin D. Portis Wilbert Portis William Portis Maurice Portis Mike Portis Quincy Gray Ronald Eglin Gregg Scott Honorary Pallbearers Darrel Jones Ronald Lilly Darele Jones Deiondre Jones Ben Butler Mychal Gobert Kenny Lloyd John Lewis Sunrise June 5, 1945 Sunset March 25, 2016 Family Gratitude We, the family are profoundly grateful for each and every expression of love and concern extended to us during this time of bereavement. Special thanks to Pryority Funeral Experience, LLC,, family, and friends. The Family Final Resting Place Paradise South 16001 Cullen Pearland, Texas 77581 Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise. Proverbs 19:20 Repast Dinner will be served at The FountainLife Center 14083 South Main 77035 Final Arrangements Entrusted to: Pryority Funeral Experience, LLC Houston, TX 77066 Saturday, April 2, 2016-10:00 a.m. 13950 Hillcroft Avenue 77085 Designed & Printed by: Metoyer-Roy Printing, Ltd. (713) 338.2159 Rev. Charles Wiseman Officiating Dr. Remus E. Wright, Senior Pastor Eulogist 52811 Erwin Portis Funeral Program.indd 1-2 4/1/16 11:42 AM
The Legacy of Erwin W. Portis was born in Calvert, Texas on June 05, 1945 to the late William D. Portis, Sr. who was a laborer and loved to sing and Fannie Laverne Griffin Portis who was very soft spoken and gave Erwin his very 1st job in the cotton field. He attended public schools in Calvert, Texas. Erwin developed a love for music after watching his dad sing in the quartet at church and his brothers in the high school band. It was no surprise that Erwin quickly became the 1st chair in the trombone section and later became the band president. During this time it became his turn to run the family shoe shine stand. He took it very serious and his dad said, Of all the boys, you have earned the most money at the shoe shine stand. After graduating from W.D. Signer High School it was time for Erwin to attend college. There was no question on where he was going after all, his brothers William, Wilbert, and Maurice had attended Prairie View University. His parents informed him that he would have to sit out his 1st semester of college because there was no money. His band director, Adolphus Jernigan learned of Erwin s shortage of funds, drove over 100 miles to his credit union and gave him $200 so he would not have to delay his education. This experience taught Erwin to always pay it forward. After graduating from Prairie View A&M University with a Bachelor s degree in Music. Erwin launched his teaching career as a band director in Waco, Texas. He was then drafted into the U.S. Army, and played in the military band. Erwin was united in marriage to Rose Starke, and from this union one daughter was born, Tracie Portis Jones. After fulfilling his tour of duty he moved to and worked as an engineer for Southern Pacific Railroad. His passion for music and his desire to teach led him back to the band hall. During his tenure from 1972-2000, Erwin taught at several schools: Drew Junior High, James Madison High School, and Evan E. Worthing High School. During his tenure in the school system he furthered his education by receiving his Master of Arts degree in Administration and Supervision. During this time bands under his leadership received numerous accolades, awards, and national recognition. He impacted many lives across the nation. 52811 Erwin Portis Funeral Program.indd 3-4 4/1/16 11:42 AM
Erwin W. Portis On September 1, 1995 he married his life partner, Twiler Portis and with this union one son was born, Erwin D. Portis. Twiler was his biggest fan, they worked and traveled the world together. Erwin was not only an educator but also an entrepreneur. This was rooted from his foundation his dad instilled at the shoe shine stand. He owned several businesses. E.W. Beauty Supply north and south, gas station, convenient store, dry cleaners, Portis Insurance Agency, and Precision Driving School. Erwin loved business, and with a strong understanding of leveraging relationships, it led him into the industry of network marketing. He has many accomplishments in the industry, resulting from building organizations in the tens of thousands. Mentoring and training others to reach their full potential, his impact on the lives of those he knew and those he didn t, is ineffable. The Progressive magazine, Success from Home Magazine, Black Enterprise, and Momentum Magazine, to name a few, have featured Erwin as a pioneer in the industry of Home Based Business. His most recent accomplishment was the publishing of his book, Enriching the Total You You Are the Answer teaches a powerful lesson, that when you invest in yourself, others will be willing to invest in you. This book was his passion and has been in creation for over 15 years. All proceeds from the book will go directly to the Erwin W. Portis Legacy Scholarship Fund. His work will live on as a guide to an amazing life. He was preceded in death by his parents, William D. Sr. and Fannie Laverne Portis; one brother Charles Portis; one sister Ruby Faye Johnson. Erwin leaves memories to be cherished by his devoted wife Twiler Portis; one daughter Tracie Jones (Darrel); one son Erwin D. Portis; three brothers William Portis (Philomine), Wilbert Portis (Chris), Maurice Portis (Verna); three sisters Florence Sparks, Fannie Jones, Gloria Horne; two grandchildren Darele Jones, Deiondre Jones; two sisters-n-law Dwan Lilly (Ronald); Leisa Netty (Kevin); two godsons David Preston III, Miles Eglin; one goddaughter Tiffany Hill and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. 52811 Erwin Portis Funeral Program.indd 5-6 4/1/16 11:43 AM
Order of Service Processional...Clergy and Family Holy Scriptures Old Testament... Minister LaChelle Pierre New Testament...Minister La Tanya D. Walker Prayer...Rev. Martin Moshay Music Selection...Worship Arts Resolutions and Acknowledgements...The Fountain Of Praise Proclamation... Mayor s Office Speakers...Benjamin Butler Former Band Director, Texas Southern University Kenny E. Lloyd TLC VP of Sales & Marketing Special Selection...Willie Winters Expressions (3 minutes)... Maurice Portis Ronald Eglin Dwan Lilly Video Presentation Music Selection...Worship Arts Words of Comfort... Dr. Remus E. Wright Senior Pastor Recessional... Congregation 52811 Erwin Portis Funeral Program.indd 7-8 4/1/16 11:43 AM
Tributes To My Love, Remembering our 1st date. We danced and laughed a lot, your jokes cracked me up. You always said the key to a woman s heart is to make her smile and you did that often. Thank you for loving me, supporting me, teaching me, caring for me, and being the example for our son. Baby, there are so many memories I will cherish forever, we were truly a team. I wasn t ready for you to go but your work was done here.i can hear God saying, Well done my good and faithful servant. #ILoveYou #BandLegend #JobWellDone #YourWorkisComplete #IMissYou Forever Yours, Twiler Portis 52811 Erwin Portis Funeral Program.indd 9-10 4/1/16 11:43 AM
Tributes Daddy I know you thought there were many times I didn t listen to your Erwin-isms but want you to know I heard every word! THANK YOU for constantly telling me -Girls can do anything boys can do; sometimes better -Love myself or else others won t know how to -Average is NEVER acceptable -Don t follow a path; CREATE one -No dream is too big as long as you do something every day to make it come to life -Music is the universal love language -The difference between cockiness and confidence is knowing who YOU are You will ALWAYS be my favorite teacher! I love you and take comfort in knowing you have a better view from heaven to guide me until we see each other again Your loving daughter, Tracie My dad literally taught me everything. My entire life, he was like my conscious. He taught me how to become a man at a young age and how to run a business. I know all of his wisdom flowed through whoever he talked to. His presence was felt at all times and he earned respect through his hard work. Everything my dad did, he did it to perfection, and that s how I want to live my life. I love you Dad, your legacy shall live on. Your Son, Lil E A.K.A. Jimmy Burner A Tribute to my Father-in-Law Tracie and I were dating when I first met Dad. As you can imagine, I was very apprehensive about this first meeting. Surprisingly, he was very welcoming but cleverly interrogated me throughout the day regarding my background, goals, work ethic and ANY future plans for his daughter. One of my fondest memories with Dad while Tracie and I were dating was Sundays. He would ask about a popular song on the radio, have us hum the melody, jump on the piano and began to composing the music for the band s upcoming football games. I was amazed how effortlessly it was for him to write a song by ear! Dad has greatly impacted me over the years with his business savvy. I have been blessed to observe how he has taken calculated risks in business ventures and seen great success. I would tell Tracie Dad is stepping out of the boat. At an early age, I lost my father and never had a father figure growing up. Dad I thank you for fulfilling that role in my life and I will truly miss you. Love You Dad!!! Darrel A Tribute to PaPa I can t thank you enough for all of the love, laughs and advice you shared over the years. I wish I had the opportunity to tell you I loved you more; tomorrow is never promised. We can t take our time here for granted so I will live and love each moment to the fullest until it overflows just like you did!! I love you PaPa! Deiondre Jones Uncle, Thank you for cooking me breakfast, teaching me and making me laugh! Rylan Tributes We only shared a few... We only shared a few years. We only shared a few words. We only shared a few laughs. We only shared a few hellos/goodbyes. We only shared a few trials and tribulations together. We only shared a few good times. We only shared a few... But I Thank God for what we did share. All that you ve done for us. All that you ve taught us. And all that love you gave us. I hope you know how much you meant to us. How much your example grew us! How much your life blessed us! How much, in the grand scheme of things, I wish we could have shared just a few more moments... A part of you will always remain in each of us, as we will cherish the memories forever. We love you, Pa-Pa! I Love You PaPa, Darele Jones We laughed together, we played together, and grew a little older together. We had some good times and we have shared some bad times and we prayed that love would always keep us together. Life is a vapor, we see it, and then it is gone. Death is not a period which ends this great sentence of life, but a comma which punctuates it to a loftier significance. Although life can take away some things that are very dear to us, it can never take away the memories we have of you. Erwin, you will always live in our hearts and minds. Your precious memories we will cherish forever! We will miss you tremendously! With Love, Your Brothers and Sisters, William, Wilbert, Maurice, Helen, Florence, Fannie Thanks for always treating me like your own mother. You treated me with respect and empathy. You were happy, kind, good listener and giving without expecting nothing in return. You were an awesome son-in-law. I will always hold those precious memories in my heart. Love you Son, Margaret Wow, meeting you in the band hall of Worthing High School, who would have thought that someday you would be my brother-in-law. You were hard on me, and it seems I could never get a break, but little did I know you saw me as a leader. I knew the hard work would pay off as I became your majorette captain. You were the brother I never had. After losing my father at the age of 21, it was a blessing to always be able to count on you. Thank you for being there for me 1st and then my family. I always appreciated you and showed much gratitude. I am going to miss our talks, your mentorship, our deep analytical thinking together, but you will live on forever in my heart. Thank you brother, Your sis-in-law, Dwan 52811 Erwin Portis Funeral Program.indd 11-12 4/1/16 11:43 AM