Juliana Tazewell Porter, age 25, died unexpectedly and far too soon on October 4, 2015. She was born in Norfolk.
Juliana was a 2008 graduate of Norfolk Collegiate School, where she was Valedictorian, President of the National Honor Society and, in 2008, named a Presidential Scholar, one of only twenty young women in the Commonwealth.
She is a 2012 graduate of Davidson College, where she was an Honors Scholar, an academic All-Conference student athlete for swimming (Go Wildcats!), a member of the National Biological Honor Society and Premedical Honor Society, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and graduated magna cum laude with a degree in biology.
In her spare time, and in addition to swimming, Juliana volunteered at local health clinics and did research for a published paper on air quality in the Charlotte area.
It was also at Davidson where she met and fell in love with Josh Yost, to whom she recently became engaged. An August 2016 wedding was planned after Josh’s graduation from the University of North Carolina School of Law.
After Davidson, Juliana pursued her dream and passion and entered the medical school at the University of Virginia, where her great grandfather, Dr. Harry Porter, studied medicine, her grandfather, Harry Porter, Jr., studied law, and her father pretended to study. She loved to learn, and she loved the study of medicine, but she loved most that, one day, she could help, care for, comfort, and heal others.
At the University, despite her rigorous academic schedule, she found time to volunteer at the Virginia Institute of Autism, assisted with research in Pediatric Neurology and also assumed a leadership role in the Christian Medical Students Association.
Her faculty mentor in her first two years described her as a superstar, and as she moved into her clinical rotations, she was described by her supervisors as being pleasant and kind with a strong work ethic and an exceptional fund of knowledge.
Although she had not decided on a career path, she frequently spoke of her love for children, and a career in pediatrics or a pediatric subspecialty was likely.
Juliana is survived by her parents, Kent and Ann Byrd, her sister and brother, Emmy and Harry, her grandparents, Anne and Waller Whittemore, her fiance’, Joshua Yost, Josh’s parents, John and Donna Yost, countless family from the Porter and Yost families, and friends too numerous to mention who deeply loved her.
Juliana was sweet and kind, she was humble, she was compassionate, she was caring, she was loyal, she was a person of great faith. She never missed a birthday, never missed an opportunity to reach out to someone in need, and never missed a chance to tell family and friends that she loved them.
She was not the kind to let obstacles get in her way or dwell on them, but always looked forward to what could be achieved. Her positive outlook on life made everyone she touched better. She was a beautiful young lady who had so much to offer and so much to give.
We mourn the loss of our JuJu, we mourn the loss of her future with Josh, we mourn her friends’ loss of her companionship and love, and we mourn for the patients who will not have her to provide comfort and healing. While nothing can replace our loss or fill the void, we doubt Juliana would want us to focus on our loss, but focus instead on how we can make someone else better.
A memorial service for this wonderful woman will be held Saturday, October 10, 2015, at 2 p.m., at Second Presbyterian Church, 7305 Hampton Boulevard, Norfolk, Virginia.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider a donation to Juliana Tazewell Porter Memorial Fund at Davidson College, Box 7177, Davidson, NC, 28035.
H. D. Oliver Funeral Apts., Norfolk Chapel is handling arrangements.
Online condolences may be made at www.hdoliver.com
Published in The Virginian Pilot on Oct. 8, 2015
Nathaniel “Nathan” Brennan Godwin, 25, of Huntersville died November 23, 2016 at Baptist Medical Center.
