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Sydney S. Portrum died Sunday, Nov. 23. He was 90.
Sydney Portrum
“Syd” Sydney S. Portrum died Sunday, Nov. 23. He was 90.
He was born in Morristown, Tenn. and lived in Salinas from 1957 until moving to Tennessee in 1999. He moved back to Hollister in 2003.
Syd received his bachelor’s degree from Maryville College in Maryville, Tenn. He served with the U.S. Navy in W.W.II in the Aleutian Islands. He was a Lt. Commander and served his full enlistment in Communications while in the Aleutians.
Syd was a member, as well as Deacon, of the First United Presbyterian Church of Salinas for 40 years. He was also a member of the Masonic Lodge of Salinas; his Blue Lodge was in Morristown, Tenn. He was also a long-time member of the Salinas Elks Lodge.
He was Postmaster for the town of Spreckles for the last five years of his career, and prior to that, he served at the Main Post Office in Salinas for 20 years.
Syd enjoyed taking photos of nature scenes and family portraits, presenting slides of his time in the Aleutians and being an armchair sports fan, especially for the University of Tennessee basketball and football teams.
His wife, Melba, died in 1989. He is survived by his two children: Sydney Portrum Jr. and his wife Carol of Hollister and Jan Laurie-Russell and her husband Mark of San Juan Capistrano. He is also survived by sisters who live in Morristown.
Syd is survived by grandchildren Trinity Portrum of San Diego and Rachel Portrum of Hollister.
Visitation will be today from noon to 7 p.m. and Tuesday from 9 to 11 a.m. at Grunnagle-Ament-Nelson Funeral Home and Crematory. Family and friends will meet at the First Presbyterian Church of Hollister, 2066 Cienega Road, on Tuesday to attend the funeral service which begins at 1 p.m.
Private entombment will be at Garden of Memories in Salinas.
