Porter DeWayne Hampton, age 51, died surrounded by his loved ones on February 10, 2025, at his home. He did not let cancer define his final years; he defined how to live life to the fullest during his battle. He modeled himself to be Super Man and Rocky through his treatments, with his fighting and strong-willed spirit. Porter would tell you, “Believe in Miracles, Fight Like a Champion”.
Porter’s life will be remembered and celebrated with a service on Monday, February 17, 2025, at 1:00 pm at the Arensberg-Pruett Funeral Home. The family invites friends to join them for a visitation on Sunday, February 16th from 4-6:00 pm at the Arensberg-Pruett Funeral Home. Memorials may be left to the Theatre Atchison or the Atchison Humane Society in care of the funeral home.
He was born October 22, 1973, in St. Joseph, MO, the son of Joseph Hampton and Betty Lou (Best) Hampton. He is a graduate of DeKalb High School and earned his construction certificate from Vo-Tech.
He began working as a teenager in the tobacco fields in DeKalb, MO, where he gained a strong work ethic that never faded. He then transitioned to the grocery business, working at Super Saver and Country Mart. In 1995, he started working at Atchison Casting/Bradken, where he stayed for over twenty years. For the last four years, he worked at McCormick Distilling in Weston, MO, in maintenance as a bottle technician. He served as the Union Steward for the UFCW Local #74A.At the age of sixteen, he already knew he found his soulmate. He would drive from DeKalb to a payphone at Sugar Lake just to make a call to her that wasn’t “long distance!” Five years later, he would marry his sweetheart, Calley Pilcher, in Rushville, MO, on June 10, of 1995. They were each other's best friend, rock, confidante, teammate, and soulmate wrapped in one. They were soon to celebrate 30 years of marriage, and Porter even stayed strong and passed on the 35th Anniversary of their first date.
Porter knew exactly what it meant to live life to the fullest every day. He was sensitive and caring, yet adventurous and even hilarious. His sense of humor, creativity and story telling was unmatched, maybe that is why his children fondly remember watching Saturday Night Live alongside their dad. He enjoyed nature and hiking with his family, especially through Weston Bend State Park. In the summers, he loved float trips with his family on the Jacks Fork River. Porter started most of his mornings with a 3:30 am jog through town and also loved riding bikes on the Riverfront and through Jackson Park. You just never quite knew where his adventurous spirit might lead him next, hence his countless videos and memes that he has shared on his Facebook account, A.B.I.G.S.H.A.M. His love of music, storytelling, poetry, acting and anything comical will always be fondly remembered by his family and friends.
Porter was deeply rooted in his faith and volunteered at the Word of Life Church in St. Joseph, MO, where he shared his faith with the church youth. Calley and Porter volunteered their time ministering to the middle schoolers on Sundays, caring for the infants in the nursery and spending summers in Colorado at church camp with the teens.
He is survived by his loving family, his wife, Calley Hampton; his three favorite children, Kaitlyn Hampton, Hannah Hampton and Joel Hampton; his father, Joseph Hampton; brother, Dennis (Cathy) Hampton; sisters, Betty Jo (Ed) Maxwell; Kenisa (Cassie) Owens-Hampton; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He is preceded in death by his mother, Betty Lou Hampton; and brothers, Randy (Nancy) Hampton and Kenny Joe Hampton.
