July 2022
James Wayne Porter, JD ’83
James Wayne Porter of Round Rock, Texas, passed away at home on July 18, 2022 at the age of 88. He was born in Rotan, Texas, to Wayne Porter and Nobia Myers Porter on January 19, 1934. Wayne graduated from Rotan high school in 1950 before graduating from Texas Tech College in 1954 with a degree in Agriculture. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant through the ROTC program and began his career with the United States Air Force in 1955. Wayne received his Navigator wings in 1956 and was soon a navigation instructor. After being stationed in England and Texas, he served in the Vietnam War, flying 122 combat missions, 100 of which were over North Vietnam, as navigator in the RF-4C reconnaissance aircraft. Subsequent tours included Germany and Spain. He retired as Lt. Colonel at Bergstrom Air Force Base in Austin, Texas, as Chief of the Command Post. Among several awards, he received the Distinguished Flying Cross twice, the Meritorious Service Medal three times, the Air Medal ten times, and the Air Force Presidential Unit Citation.
After his Air Force retirement, Wayne began a second career after graduating from Baylor Law in 1983. He worked as a private attorney in Georgetown, Texas, before serving as First Assistant County Attorney in Williamson County for 13 years. He retired in 2006 but returned to work serving as an Associate Judge for the county until 2019. After his final retirement, he volunteered as Assistant County Attorney. He is survived by his six children: Kim (Kent) Fletcher of Burley, Idaho, Jamie (Lynn) Angell of Boerne, Texas, Leigh (Joel) Hale of St. Jo, Texas, Christopher Porter of Lakeway, Texas, Kendra (Richard Bolz) Porter of Hutto, Texas, Trey Porter of Leander, Texas, 10 grandchildren, and 21 great-grandchildren. His children and all those who loved him were subject to his dry wit and witnessed his devotion to the Lord, his dogs, photography, fine dining, travel, and incessant reading.
Eric Jackson Weatherford, JD ’97
Eric Jackson Weatherford passed away unexpectedly on July 5, 2022, while traveling with his family in the Cayman Islands. Words cannot express the devastation so many feel at losing this amazing son, husband, father, brother, and friend. Eric was born August 7, 1971, in Dallas to Jake and Cherrie Weatherford. Eric attended Hyer Elementary and graduated from Highland Park High School in 1990. After graduation, he attended the University of Texas and was an active member of the Kappa Alpha Order. Beloved by his KA brothers, Eric was honored to be selected as rush captain. He graduated from UT in 1994 with a degree in English and then attended Baylor Law, graduating in 1997. At a wedding of dear friends in May 1998, he connected with fellow HP and UT alum Mary Beth Skinner, and the two quickly began dating. After a brief stint as a litigator in Dallas, Eric moved to Austin in 1999 to practice law at Gjerset and Lorenz, LLP where he developed a specialty in Health Care Regulatory and Reimbursement Law that would last throughout his career. Mary Beth also moved to Austin shortly after Eric, and the two were married in Santa Fe on July 28, 2001. In 2003, they moved back to Dallas and Eric became an associate at the national firm Epstein Becker Green. In 2004, his beautiful daughter, Sydney Rose was born, and that same year Eric joined Brown McCarroll, LLP (which eventually became Husch Blackwell, LLP). Eric’s precious son, Luke Jackson, was born in January 2008.
Eric held a number of leadership roles at Husch Blackwell including the specialty practice leader for the Health Care Regulatory Practice. In January 2022, Eric was named Husch Blackwell’s Office Managing Partner in Dallas. His outstanding legal skills earned him the respect and love of his colleagues, partners, and fellow attorneys. Eric was the former chair of the Dallas County Bar Health Law Section. He was a valued leader in the American Bar Association Health Law Section and was nationally recognized for his dedication and excellence in representing health care providers by Chambers USA and the BL Rankings’ Best Lawyers in America. Eric’s most important accomplishment was being a father to Sydney and Luke. He was so proud of them and shared with them his love of music, the Texas Longhorns, hunting, travel, and food. He loved taking Sydney to musicals and picking her up every summer at Camp Mystic. He enjoyed taking Luke to his baseball and football practices, fishing with him, and attending sporting events together. Eric loved planning family adventures and had a wonderful sense of humor that his family and friends will never forget. Faith was very important to Eric, and he and Mary Beth are lifelong members of Highland Park Presbyterian Church. Eric is a past board member of the American Parkinson Disease Association, Northeast Texas Chapter.
Eric is preceded in death by his father Jake Weatherford. He is survived by his mother Cherrie Weatherford; wife Mary Beth and children, Sydney and Luke Weatherford; sister Amy and brother-in-law Alan Henry and their children, Harper and Drew.