Obituary of Leopoldo Porras Valencia, Jr.

Junior was born on February 20, 1963 in Shirley, Massachusetts, near Fort Devon Army Base to Leopoldo, Sr. of the Philippine Islands and Zelda Zilberstein  of Berlin, Germany.
They returned to Berlin to live, while his father did his tour of duty in the Vietnam war. The family returned to Houston when he was 9 years old, and he spoke only German; it was not long after that he began speaking English with a pronounced Texan accent.
He attended schools in Stafford, Texas until the age of 15 when the tragedy of losing his young mother at the age of 34 occurred. At one point he became homeless, but rapidly turned his situation around “with a little help from his friends” in the Montrose community of the 80’s. He attended the Gulf Coast Trade Center and obtained his GED through Sam Houston University, and studied carpentry, horticulture, and landscaping. At the age of 28, he met two important figures in his future; his dear friend, Joseph Ingram, who introduced him to  his career with the prestigious law firm of Abraham Watkins Nichols Ballard and Friend. He began in 1990 as a clerk, and became the Building Manager for 26 years. With his strong work ethic and exceptional energy he saw to it that the firm maintained its daily operations after the Allison flood and Hurricane Ike, and oversaw the legendary annual Christmas parties for many years in a row. But most importantly, he made some of his best friends for life. At the same time, he met a second person, Jean, at a Montrose party, who became his life partner for the next 27 years. His polar opposite, she was from a genteel and traditional New England back-ground, an only child, and his life story melted her heart. 
He is survived by his life partner Jean Santore, his sister Mary Meyers and Sandra Petrash, his nephew Spiro Kambitsis, and several nieces (the daughters of Mary).  
Anyone who knows Junior will know that he is safe in the arms of God in Heaven, as he has earned his eternal Love.