Hermann J. Portner
A final goodbye to a great human being, …
He was my boss at TI for decades of my professional life.
But, more importantly, a truly inspiring friend, my role model, teacher, inspiration, and wonderful guide in my international career at Texas Instruments.
He contributed to everything I accomplished with advice and action in an exemplary and humble but determined manner.
I loved him for the, at times, satirical sense of humor, his wonderful way of giving orders, which we never carried out with pleasure, the discipline he demanded, and the motivating rewards he gave out of his great cornucopia for quick and on-target achievements.
I remember our wonderful evenings at his home, discussing the world; the exciting games at the Dallas Cowboys, which he took me to for the first time in my life; the skiing weekend in the Bavarian alps with him and Kolja, my at that time only 10-year-old son, and more and so much more. I'll never forget one of his best pieces of advice one warm summer evening at his pool: "Son, buy land. They ain't gonna make it anymore."
He was my role model, teacher, inspiration, and wonderful guide when I had problems. Everything I accomplished, he contributed to it with advice and action in an exemplary and humble but determined manner.
He made me what I am today.
And for that, I will always be grateful to him.
Hermann J. Portner,
with family Irene, Kolja & Julia
Villeneuve Loubet, (Nice)
France