Porterfield, Hubert

Hubert William Porterfield, M.D. "Bill", resident of Charlottesville, Va., was born on September 24, 1929, in Hagerstown, Md., and died on February 27, 2023, at Our Lady of Peace Healthcare Center in Charlottesville, Va. During his significant lifespan of 93-years plus, Bill became the proud father of five, grandfather of 15 and great-grandfather of seven, all of whom survive him. Bill's children are W. Scott Porterfield and wife, Susie Griffith of Chicago, Jeffrey L. Porterfield of Columbus, Ohio, Wendy Porterfield Modjeski and husband, Ron Modjeski, of Lexington, Kentucky, Todd B. Porterfield and partner, Benoit Bolduc, of New York City, and Marli J.P. Kerrigan and husband, Jack E. Kerrigan, of Great Falls, Virginia. Bill's wife of 45 years Linda Obenauf Porterfield of Charlottesville also survives him.Bill was born on September 24, 1929, in Hagerstown, Maryland, to Hubert Lester Porterfield, M.D., a Hagerstown native, and Minnesotan Florence Rosalie Chenoweth known as "Sally," her stage name when touring with a theatrical company that made what became a significant stop in Hagerstown, where she met and married the town doctor.An only child, Bill's early education began in the Hagerstown school system. Eventually, his parents sent him to Culver Military Academy where he played baseball and supposedly studied. After graduation in 1947 from Culver, Bill enrolled at the University of Virginia, where he liked to say he became a Virginia Gentleman. Bill was a "youngster" at UVA as most of the male student body was older having returned from military service when World War II ended.Young as he was, Bill was able to graduate from UVA in three years. He then went on to his father's alma mater, Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, where he earned his medical degree and followed with internship and general surgery training at Akron City Hospital, Ohio. Bill then honed his plastic surgical skills at Indiana University Medical Center, Indianapolis under the guidance of the late Harold Trusler, M.D. Bill was certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery in 1962. Following his training, Bill settled in Columbus, Ohio, where he joined the established medical office of Doctors Terry and Trabue. When those physicians retired from what became Ohio Plastic Surgeons, Inc., Bill rose to senior partner with physicians Lester Mohler, M.D. and James Ferraro, M.D. He also became director of the plastic surgery joint residency program with The Ohio State University and Mount Carmel Medical Center. Additionally, he was named associate clinical professor of plastic surgery at The Ohio State University. In addition to practicing the art of plastic surgery, Bill became active in the socioeconomic side of medicine. In 1968, Bill was inducted as president of the Academy of Medicine of Columbus and Franklin County (Ohio). Concurrent with his presidency, Bill became the Academy's delegate to the Ohio State Medical Association. Later he became chairman of the Ohio Medical Political Action Committee as well as a member of the Ohio State Medical Association's delegation to the American Medical Association, a position he held for many years. In 2005, Bill was honored by the Columbus (Ohio) Medical Association with its "50-Years in Medicine Award."Bill also was active in his medical specialty society, the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery now known as the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). In 1982, he was elected this society's president. He also held other memberships including American Association of Plastic Surgeons, American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, American College of Surgeons, Ohio Valley Plastic Surgery Society, American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Plastic Surgery Facilities and American Cleft Palate Association. The latter as well as his long membership on the board of directors of the Hearing and Speech Center of Columbus and Central Ohio spoke of Bill's special desire to provide his skills in cleft-lip and palate surgery to mend the facial deformities of his tiniest patients.Shortly after Bill's stint as ASPS president, he joined with a number of other local and statewide Ohio physicians who volunteered to establish a small physician-run managed healthcare insurance company based in Columbus, Ohio. As this company evolved, Bill became chairman of the board. Eventually, he left his medical practice to become President and CEO of the new company that became PHP (Physicians Health Plan) Benefit Systems, a division of the United Health Care Corporation. During these years, Ohio's governor appointed Bill to the state's Health Care Board as the Health Maintenance Organization representative. Also he served a two-year term as chairman of the American Managed Care and Review Organization, a Washington, D.C.-based national group of managed-care companies like Ohio's PHP Benefit Systems. After numerous years of all these activities, Bill retired in his late sixties and turned to playing more golf. Following Bill's youngest child entering his alma mater the University of Virginia, Bill became interested in affording undergraduate college students the opportunity of early education in the growing ethical issues in medicine. Consequently, Bill and Linda endowed the H. William Porterfield, M.D. and Linda Obenauf Porterfield Professorship in Biomedical Ethics. The late John D. Arras was the first holder of this chair.As Bill said at the time-"The University has an opportunity to be a voice in the debate. The ethical issues we have to deal with in healthcare are becoming more complex all the time. We want to do something to support the study of these issues at the undergraduate level."In addition to the UVA professorship, Bill and Linda also endowed the H. William Porterfield, M.D. and Linda Obenauf Porterfield Speech and Hearing Graduate Fellowship at the University of Illinois, Champaign, Linda's alma mater.Over the years, Bill and Linda had the great fortune to make many friends across the United States beginning with their lengthy years in Columbus, Ohio. They also spent much time in Carefree and Scottsdale, Arizona; on South Bass Island in Lake Erie (best known as Put-in-Bay, Ohio); at the North Carolina Outer Banks; and in Charlottesville, Virginia. Charlottesville and the University of Virginia held a special place in Bill's heart. He enjoyed nothing more than cheering on the Hoos at Scott Stadium, JPJ Arena and Davenport Field. His love of the University was contagious, and now multiple family members share his alma mater.Bill happily remembered to the very end his many golfing buddies who teed it up at Scioto Country Club, Columbus, Ohio…the Boulders Golf Club, Scottsdale and the Desert Forest Golf Club, Carefree, Arizona…and the Glenmore Country Club, Keswick, Virginia. He also reveled in years of scratching the ears of his boyhood two "Mikes," his Hagerstown Irish Setters; "Karat," the Golden Retriever bought for Marli but always Bill's dog; and his favorite "rentable" dog…Marli and Jack's Golden Retriever "Wahoo," who visited Charlottesville often. In the end, Bill happily shared "Wahoo" with other residents in the Healthcare Center at Our Lady of Peace.Bill especially loved and appreciated time with family. He never met a stranger and would gladly exchange jokes and stories over a scotch or two with new and old friends. A man always in good spirits even in difficult times toward the end of his life, Bill would answer to queries regarding how he was doing…"pretty good for an old guy!"Everyone who knew Bill Porterfield, loved Bill Porterfield. He couldn't help but make you smile!Bill will be buried in the Charlottesville Monticello Memory Gardens during a family ceremony this spring.