Cheryl Jacobs Porter OBITUARY

Cheryl Jacobs Porter OBITUARY

After living a wonderful life grounded in love of God, family, and friends, our beloved Cheryl passed away peacefully with her entire immediate family at her side on October 14, 2026. Her precious smile, grace, humor, selflessness, intellect, spirited personality and Catholic faith positivity impacted many lives. Her memory is a true blessing.

Cherished wife of Christopher Porter; loving mother of Kevin Porter (Ashley), Megan Persa (Dan), Bryan Porter (Ryan), Austin Porter and Gavin Porter; dear grandmother of Fitzgerald and Theodore Porter, Remy, Griffen, Blair and Grace Persa; adored sister of Jeffery Jacobs, Mary Beth Goss (the late Clay) and Christopher Jacobs (Amanda); fond aunt of many nieces and nephews; treasured friend of many.

Cheryl was born April 25, 1961, at St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, Illinois to the late Nancy Witte Jacobs and Harry David Jacobs of Winnetka, Illinois. She domiciled in Winnetka, a valued community, to raise five great children in an exemplary manner, most of her life.

Cheryl graduated with honors from the University of Wisconsin – Madison with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Loyola University – Chicago with a Master’s degree in Business Administration. Upon graduation from UW – Madison, she worked at Harris/Bank of Montreal in the government bond department for many years until she decided to be a “mom”, a more important life role to her, full time.

She met Chris Porter while on vacation with close friends in La Quinta, California. Chris was living in Manhattan Beach, California and Cheryl in Chicago. With the Rocky Mountains between Chicago and L.A., “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” became “their song” and a theme while dating. They fell in love, quickly, and after a mere nine-month long-distance courtship, were married in 1988 in Winnetka and lived in Chicago thereafter.

Invariably, when asked what she enjoyed doing in her spare time, she would say, “spending time with family”. She thoroughly enjoyed travelling the world and loved summer weekends at the family lake house (Lake Beulah, East Troy, Wisconsin).

Kindness and generosity were her cornerstone characteristics. Outside of exhibiting such with family and friends, and those unknown, she was very involved with various charitable functions at Saints Faith, Hope, and Charity Church (FHC), Little Sisters of the Poor and Humble Design (physically upgrading homes in underserved communities). She was a devout Catholic, practicing her faith at FHC since she was a child, often as a daily communicant.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, October 22, 2026, from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Donnellan Family Funeral Services, 10045 Skokie Boulevard, Skokie, Illinois.

Funeral Mass Friday, October 23, 2026, at 10:00 AM at Saints Faith, Hope and Charity Church, 191 Linden Street, Winnetka, Illinois. Interment private.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Little Sisters of the Poor (www.littlesistersofthepoorchicago.org) 2325 N. Lakewood Ave., Chicago, Illinois 60614 or, Saints Faith, Hope, and Charity Parish (www.faithhope.org) 191 Linden Street, Winnetka, Illinois 60093. Info: donnellanfuneral.com or 847-675-1990.