Quadrangle Club chef passes away unexpectedly

Tyrone Porter, who had served as a chef in Quadrangle Club for over 25 years, died unexpectedly on Feb. 19.

Quad president Yekaterina Panskyy '17 deferred comment to Matthew Floyd '15, a former member of Quad.

“For those of you who didn't know him or knew him only sparingly, it is sad you weren't able to experience the humor, generosity, kindness and strikingly good cooking that the man brought to Quad through multiple memberships and classes,” Floyd said in a statement.

Floyd said that several people on Facebook claimed that Porter embodied the best of Quad. He added that Porter was "eccentrically quirky" and had a unique sense of humor.

"He made an effort to share his experiences, get to know us personally and help us along our unique paths. And through it all, he always accepted us for us. Unique, eccentric, accepting and kind. That was T. And that is Quad. Forever and always,” Floyd said in the statement.

Floyd added that Porter played different roles in students' lives.

"To some, he was a bright spot of comic relief in a life full of stress and melancholy. To others, he was a true friend who did whatever he could to help you when you needed it," he said in the statement.

Floyd said at graduation, Porter met all the Quad members’ families and told them how much he had enjoyed getting to know the students. He added that once, when Quad was snowed in, Porter drove all the way to 33 Prospect Ave. because "y'all needed to eat."

"We are grateful to have known him," Floyd said in the statement. "He was our friend. He was our brother. We shall never see his like again. And now his watch is ended."

According to Floyd, Porter was always there to watch over Quad members and did not ask for much from them in return.

"Quad wouldn’t be Quad without T," Sarah Santucci '17 , a current member of Quad, said.

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She added that his accent was comfortingand that he often gave advice and told stories.

"He was especially nice to people, even shy people, and he wanted to be everyone’s friend," Santucci said.

"The best example I have of him being T is that I would ask for tea as in tea leaves, and he would open his arms and do a little dance and say, ‘Here I am!’” Santucci said.

Santucci noted that Porter loved both his real and his Quad families.

"He was the most loving guy. He can’t be replaced. He was there forever," Santucci said.

Former member of Quad Ben Liu '15 described Porter as "a funny, funny guy" who "made everyone laugh and feel welcome." He added that everyone in Quad is devastated by the news of Porter's passing.

“T was just a quintessential part of Quad Club," Andrea Mirabal ’08, former member of Quad, said.

According to Mirabal, the club has always had a small membership, a fact that has both pros and cons. However, one of the things that has certainly been an asset, noted Mirabal, is that members of Quad develop very close relationships, not only with other members but also with the Club's cleaning staff and the cooking crew.

Mirabal said that Quad's small membership created a familial atmosphere that Porter was a huge part of.

"T could always poke fun at people at the most appropriate times," Mirabal said. "People would ask, ‘What’s up T?’ He was famous for saying: ‘Same sh*t!’ every time.”

"Everybody really came to adore him because he was just a gentleman who made the place feel like home," Mirabal said.

Mirabal added that Porter would be the first to come to the members' aid for anything — he went out of his way for people, and genuinely loved interacting with students at Quad, which made being in the Club that much more memorable and meaningful.

“If you needed someone to make you laugh on a given day, T was there. If you needed someone to cook something special for you or save you a plate of food because you missed dinner, T was there. If you needed someone to talk to you and share experiences with in a fun and carefree way, T was there,” Floyd said in the statement.