Leslie Jean Portillo's Obituary
Leslie Portillo Obituary
Born March 1, 1965, in Shreveport, Louisiana, Leslie was the daughter Ronald and Jean (Gutterman) Jarrett. Leslie spent her childhood primarily in Louisiana and Texas, traveling back and forth regularly to Corpus Christi to spend time with her grandparents. Her grandfather was a pilot and flew her all around the country. This became quite convenient since her mother moved to Bixby, and her father lived in West Covina, California. Leslie completed her education with Bixby Public Schools.Leslie loved horseback riding, spending a great amount of time at Lawrence Farms and various stables in the area. She participated in several horse shows at the Tulsa County Fairgrounds. Leslie even moved to Ocala, Florida, where she was employed by the racetrack as a jockey. She worked several jobs throughout her lifetime and became a licensed practical nurse. While living in Arizona, when she was reintroduced to her high school classmate, Miguel Portillo. The couple rekindled their flame and married June 1, 2007, along the Oak Creek in Slide Rock State Park near Sedona. Known by many to be an “adrenaline junkie,” Leslie enjoyed the mountain and rock climbing, parasailing while in Key West, and even swimming with the dolphins. She and Miguel took many trips to amusement parks throughout the country during the summer roller coaster tours. Leslie loved her domesticated Bengal cats, which became quite an enterprise. She successfully established and operated “Jean’s Legacy Bengals” for several years. In recent years, Leslie spent most of her vacation time visiting her granddaughter in Jackson, Mississippi. Leslie enjoyed raising all types of vegetables in her garden. She also loved growing blackberries, which she used to make wonderful preserves and liqueurs. Leslie also baked delicious cakes, using the figs she raised in her garden, and she canned her homemade spaghetti sauce. Always good spirited and fun to be around, Leslie’s memory will be cherished by a host of family and friends who loved her. Surviving family members include her husband, Miguel; her three children, Heather Rempe, Joseph Peterman, and Jamin Geiss; and her beloved granddaughter, Victoria. Leslie was preceded in death by her parents, and her brother, Darrell Jarrett.
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