It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of the passing on December 13, 2025, of Dr. Cedric Warren Porter, Jr., a beloved physician, a devoted father, and a true citizen of the world who made the mountains of Western North Carolina his cherished home.
Cedric was born on October 10, 1938, in Boston, MA, at what is now Massachusetts General Hospital. He was the son of the late Cedric Warren Porter originally of Newton, MA, and Emma Atchison Porter who hailed from the Pulaski/Nashville area of Tennessee. Cedric had one brother, George P.D. Porter, and they grew up together in Wellesley, MA.
Cedric received a fine education, graduating cum laude in 1956 from Noble and Greenough School in Cambridge, MA. He then attended Harvard College. While at Harvard, Cedric played junior varsity hockey all four years. He was also the manager of the crew team the year Harvard won the famed Thames Challenge Cup at the annual Henley Royal Regatta in 1960. He earned a varsity letter in hockey during the 1959-1960 season, and a varsity letter as the crew manager. At Harvard, Cedric, a member of Winthrop House, also was a member of the Hasty Pudding Institute of 1770 and the D.U. Club where he served as President. After graduating B.A. cum laude in History from Harvard in 1960, his path led him to Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, where he earned his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1964. In this same year he married Ann E. Hardy of Cleveland, Ohio in New York City. He went on to complete his internship at Boston City Hospital (now Boston Medical Center) before beginning a remarkable career in public health, serving as a Lieutenant Commander and Senior Assistant Surgeon with the U.S. Public Health Service. This work took him to the Philippines as a Peace Corps physician, and later to Hawaii, where he served as the Medical Programming Officer for the Peace Corps for East Asia and the Pacific. He went on to earn a Master of Public Health from Harvard University in 1969, with a focus on family planning and population studies.
In 1970, Cedric arrived in North Carolina for his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at UNC-Chapel Hill. After completing his training, he put down deep roots in Asheville, where he became a cornerstone of the medical community. He dedicated his life to caring for women and delivering babies, first with Asheville Ob-Gyn Associates from 1973 to 1990, and then as a solo practitioner at Victoria Women's Services until 2000. Over his career, he delivered approximately 4,000 babies, a fact that always brought a warm smile to his face.
A respected expert in international family planning, Cedric wrote the widely distributed book Contraception: The Health Provider's Guide, penned numerous articles and monographs translated into multiple languages, and co-authored a chapter in Advances in Gynecology. Cedric consulted for many international NGOs and was a member of the International Society for the Advancement of Contraception. He was a pioneer of bringing fertility treatment to North Carolina, and he delivered the state’s first successful frozen embryo in vitro baby.
Beyond his professional life, Cedric was a man of great curiosity who had a passion for international travel. He visited six continents and was always eager to learn about new cultures.
Cedric re-married to Donna C. Cope of Thomasville, Georgia, in 1986. He is survived by his loving wife and his four children: Cedric Warren Porter III, Sarah E. Porter Springer (Philipp), Rodney Hardy Porter (Jennie), and Joshua Graham Porter (Carolina). He also leaves behind seven beloved grandchildren: George, Tedford, Julian, Leah, Benjamin, Christina, and Samuel. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Ann.
Cedric will be remembered for his kind bedside manner, his willingness to empower his patients, his love of world culture, his devotion to his family, and the humored wink of his eye. While his journey began far from these hills, he found his true calling and his community right here in western North Carolina. He will be deeply missed by his family, his friends, his colleagues, and the countless families whose lives he touched.
A service was held in Cedric’s honor on January 24th, 2026, at St. Giles Chapel, Asheville, NC 28803.
In lieu of flowers, it was Cedric`s request that those who wish to express sympathy may consider a donation to Doctors Without Borders, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, or Planned Parenthood.
