Richard's mother and father married on 15 August 1894 in Orillia, Ontario.
They appear in the 1911 census living in Simcoe south, Ontario Canada.
Richard attended the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston joining on 28 July 1917 aged 16 and graduated 23 June 1920.
Afterwards, he attended McGill University, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in mining in 1922.
Porritt was appointed general manager of Gaspé Copper, a Noranda subsidiary, in September, 1952.