Terry Porter, 62, passed on Wednesday, December 31, 2025 in Fayetteville, GA.

Funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. EST on Saturday, January 10, 2026 at New Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Columbus, GA. with Pastor David Dawson, officiating. Public viewing is 10:00 a.m. EST till 11:00 a.m. EST on the day of service.

Ms. Terry Lashawn Porter was born on May 19, 1963, to Alberta Dennies and Eddie Austin in Columbus, Georgia. Terry received her High School Diploma at Columbus High School. She furthered her education by obtaining both a Bachelor of Arts Degree and a Masters’ Degree from Central Michigan University.

From childhood to adulthood, she always worked hard and fought for what she believed in. Anyone lucky enough to be close to her could always feel her love. Compassionate, genuine, and caring are just a few of the characteristics that describe this loving person. Terry was a deeply sweet and kind soul, whose warmth touched people from the moment they met her. Her loving spirit and gentle nature will be dearly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her (Sonya Lee). Terry accepted Christ as her Savior at the age of sixteen and was a long-time and highly active member of Nazareth Baptist Church in Columbus, Georgia.

Terry was a proud board member of her neighborhood’s Homeowner Association, Jonesboro Meadows. In her spare time, she loved working out in the yard. She was not only a gardener; she also carefully and diligently landscaped her yard. She also enjoyed spending time with her children, grandchildren, and extended family. She enjoyed family vacations and just her day-to-day and weekend activities with her family. She worked as a Central Office Administrator for Clayton County Public Schools in Atlanta, Georgia, serving for thirty years. She happily retired in May of 2020.

Ms. Terry Lashawn Porter departed this life on December 31, 2025. She was preceded in death by her father, Eddie Austin; her grandson, Rion Oakley Levy; her maternal great-grandmother, Iola Dennies; and her great-great-grandmother, Ada Lee Brown.

Terry is survived by three children, LaKeisha Nicole Porter, Damitrius Martrale Thomas, and Alexis Denise Porter; three Grandsons, Jayden Gregory Thomas, Carter Porter Thomas, and Stephen Nicholas Wilson; Mother, Alberta Dennies; Brother, Toney Dennies; four Sisters, MackNeal Hurston (Donnie Deceased), Linda (David) Mahaffey, Rosalind Green, and Sonya Lee; and a host of nieces and nephews.