Nila Mae Portis, 89, of Canal Fulton, went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, November 28, 2017 at Chapel Hill Retirement Community where she resided since 2012. She was born on June 21, 1928 in Akron, Ohio and raised in Ellijay, Georgia throughout her adolescent years with her brother and sisters, where she picked cotton as a child. She returned to Akron at age 14 and soon after met the love of her life, Albert. They married on February 14, 1946. In the face of adversity, Nila always displayed her unbinding strength. Nila was always a fighter. She was a homemaker who devoted her life to her husband, children and family. Beginning to cultivate her legacy in this world. Nila loved to cook. She was a seamstress. She was always well manicured, a true southern belle. Some of her most precious memories were raising her children at Lake Milton during the summers with her extended family and winters spent in Florida with her husband. Her family carries memories of waking to country music, toast stacked high with her homemade blackberry jam, snapping green beans, making tomato sandwiches and canning pickles with her. Her home was filled with plants and her love for landscaping cultivated into her old age. She was a gardener who loved to express her green thumb sharing with her family the fruits of her labor. Even in her last years her room was always filled with flowers and plants that grew on her windowsill.

She was preceded in passing by her husband of 66 years, Albert Portis; her daughter and son-in-law, Jeannie and Mike Burke, and her grandson, Chad Burke. She is now reunited with her heavenly family, probably sitting around listening to guitar. She leaves behind her daughter, Cindy Galloway (Dave Galloway); her daughter and son-in-law, Tami and Brian Benton; sister Johnnie (Kenny) Huber; 8 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren and 10 great-great grandchildren.

The family would like to thank the devoted TBC visitation group and everyone from Chapel Hill for the love and care they showed her.

A Memorial Service will be held WEDNESDAY, December 6, 2017, 11am at Chapel Hill Community, 12200 Strausser St. NW, with Pastor Glenn Rogers, Jr., officiating. Friends may call Wednesday at 10am until time of service. Inurnment at Greenlawn Memorial Park, Akron.

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