Peter Porritt and the sport of field hockey enjoyed a classic symbiotic relationship for 35 years. Since 1958 when Dr. Porritt emigrated from England to Canada and settled in Winnipeg, he became instrumental in the sport’s establishment and growth at the local, provincial, national and international level. His leadership and selfless service to the sport as an organizer, administrator, coach and technical official essentially began and ended with the Pan Am Games in Winnipeg.

His life’s work was in orthopedic surgery. Porritt was a devoted father to his and wife Mary’s three sons, Howard, Julian, and Trevor.

In 1965, Porritt was designated chair of the organizing committee for the 1967 Pan Am Games field hockey tournament. During those Games, the International Field Hockey Federation (FIH) president approached Porritt with two ideas. He suggested the formation of the Manitoba Field Hockey Association of which Porritt was elected the first president (1967-75). He appointed Porritt as the secretary treasurer (1967-95, treasurer only 1995-99) to the Pan American Hockey Federation (PAHF).

In 1972 Porritt was named a member of the FIH technical council and served until he retired in 1999. On the local and national level, Porritt represented Manitoba at the Canadian Field Hockey Association (CFHA) board meetings from 1967-75. From 1967-82 he developed a junior coaching program, junior teams, introduced the sport to schools as well as acting as a coach himself for various interprovincial and national competitions.

Peter Porritt received the FIH Order of Merit in 1986 and was a judge in five Olympic games (1968, 1972, 1984, 1992, 1996), and an assistant technical delegate to two Olympics (1976, 1988). His final official duty was at the 1999 Pan Am Games in Winnipeg where he was appointed the PAHF honourary director.