Portia was born in Charleston, WV and grew up in Houston. She graduated from Lamar High School, attended Texas Women’s University and Texas Tech, and received a BA in Psychology from the University of Houston.

Portia was confirmed at St. James, Houston and she and her family were among the first communicants of St. Martin’s, Houston; she has also been a parishioner at St. Andrews, Pearland, and St. Michael’s/Hope. She was first a parishioner of St. Christopher’s in 1963 when she and her husband, David Rilling, led the youth program. She has served in parish choirs, on vestry, altar guild and as pastoral care coordinator, LEV, and LEM. Other work has included hospital, nursing home and hospice chaplaincies and with the homeless and street people of Lord of the Streets Community.

In 2007 she returned to St. Christopher's and there heard a call to ordained ministry. In the fall of 2009 Portia entered Iona School of Ministry, graduated and was ordained to the Holy order of Deacons in 2012 at Christ Church Cathedral, Houston.

Portia has a daughter, Holly, and a Son, David. She is grandmother to 6 and great-grandmother to five. She enjoys flower gardening, music, performing arts, and her feline companions.