Dwight Joseph Portman

Dwight Joseph Portman, 74, of Hamilton and later Forest Park, died on April 18, 2022 surrounded by his family.

He was the eldest child of Robert and Marie Portman, born in Butler, PA, on March 7, 1948 and lived in Wheeling, WV, and Marietta, Ohio, where he graduated from Saint Mary Catholic School. He then attended Miami University in Oxford, from which he graduated with a degree in Physics and a Masters of Arts in Education. In 1972, he met Susan Seibel, fell in love, and married her in August of 1973. Together they raised two children. He is survived by his wife, Susan; his son, Clifford; and his daughter, Elisabeth Cox (Todd); his sisters, Ellen Bielewicz (Paul) and Louise Ducsay (Doug); his brother, Bob (Debbie); and by his grandchild, Emma Cox. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Sally Seibel-Drabenstott; and her daughters, Allison Batten and Emily Sander (Tony), whom he dearly loved and who meant as much to him as his own family. He is further survived by many nieces and nephews.

Dwight was foremost passionate about family and friends. His other passions were science (specifically physics), teaching, and playing golf with his friends and his brother. Most of all, he was a deeply religious person. Dwight was a devout Catholic and a member of St. Veronica Church in Hamilton and then Our Lady of the Rosary in Greenhills. There he served as a Eucharistic Minister and a friend to many. Growing up as a young man in Marietta, he attended Catholic schools and was greatly influenced in his faith by both of his parents. As a teenager, he worked at the Sherwin-Williams store where his father was manager. Through both his mother and father, Dwight developed a strong work ethic that he carried into the rest of his life.

Dwight was a fabulous educator. His first job out of college was at Greenhills High School teaching physics and general science. He taught physics and chemistry at Greenhills and then Winton Woods High School for 30 years, retiring in 2003. Yet, Dwight never gave up on anything, especially his love for teaching and for his students. Teaching was his genuine natural gift. He was able to make complex scientific concepts fun and easy to learn, and his students adored him.

Dwight also taught physics beginning as a graduate student in 1973 and never stopped. He was a part-time educator at Miami University in Oxford and at the university campuses in Hamilton and Middletown for 49 years. A favorite physics program he developed for teachers and students in elementary school was Teaching Science With Toys. His workshops were widely popular and he co-authored and published several "With Toys" books and instruction manuals. In 1988, he earned the award of Science Teacher of the Year in Southwest Ohio.

He loved children, especially his ten year-old granddaughter, Emma, who was the absolute light of his life. Her first word ever spoken was her name for him, "Papa." Dwight was truly an angel on Earth and is now happy in Heaven. His eight year-old nephew, Evan, called him "Dwight the Kite" and he said about him: "Dwight the Kite was the nicest one in our family." Undoubtedly so.

His beloved niece, Danielle, perhaps summed up Dwight J. Portman best by writing on the day of his passing: "Heaven gained a special angel today. My Uncle Dwight had the sweetest, most giving heart. He was amazingly intelligent and loved his family more than anything. He will be deeply missed by everyone who knew him… Rest In Peace, Uncle Dwight. We love you."

A visitation will be held at Newcomer Cremations, Funerals and Receptions at 7830 Hamilton Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45231 on April 22, 2022, 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm with a Mass of Christian Burial to be held at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church the following day, April 23, 2022, at 11:30 am. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Winton Wyoming Pastoral Region in Cincinnati or to the SPCA Cincinnati.