WILMINGTON — Rebecca Irene (Blank) Porterfield passed away peacefully on June 14, 2025 after a long battle with cancer. Born on May 10, 1946, in Marion, Ohio, she was the daughter of Richard Blank and Elizabeth Pauline Streng.
She is survived by her siblings, Theresa Retterer of Marion, OH; Douglas Blank (Carlotta) of Marion, OH; Pamela Boyd of Venice, FL; and Michelle Wall (Fred) of Wilmington, NC. Becky is also survived by her children, Robert Porterfield (Arleene) of Malakoff, TX, and Holly Izzo (Hugo) of Wake Forest, NC. Her grandchildren include Zachary Porterfield of Malakoff, TX; Samuel Izzo and Michael Izzo of Wake Forest, NC; and Erica Albers (Mark) of Austin, TX. She also leaves behind her great-granddaughter, Andie Albers, and was anticipating the upcoming arrival of her great-grandson, also an Albers.
Becky graduated from River Valley High School in Marion, Ohio. She earned both a Bachelor of Science in Management and Finance and an MBA from Mississippi State University, followed by a Ph.D. in Industrial Management with a focus on strategy from Clemson University.
She began her professional career as a financial analyst and manager at Perkin Elmer Corporation and Duracell Corporation. Transitioning to academia, she served as an assistant professor of management at Hofstra University and Mississippi State University.
In 1991, she joined the faculty at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where she held numerous leadership roles, including Department Chair, Associate Dean for Undergraduate and Graduate Programs, and Associate Vice Chancellor in the Provost’s Office. She co-founded the Cameron Executive Network and played a pivotal role in developing two international dual-degree programs: TABSA (undergraduate) and IBSA (graduate), in partnership with five international universities.
Becky also served as both the local and state president of the North Carolina World Trade Association. In 2015, she was appointed Dean of the Haile US Bank College of Business at Northern Kentucky University.
Becky loved God, her family, and her work. She lived life with warmth and joy, always surrounded by loved ones and lifelong friends. She had a passion for golf—though she liked to joke that she wasn’t very good at it! Her legacy lives on through the many lives she touched, both personally and professionally.
Memorial contributions may be made to Habitat For Humanity.
