Roy F. Forbes

Today a solemn funeral ceremony was held for a man who was like a toasted marshmallow: crusty on the outside, but with a soft heart inside.

Roy was our neighbor for over 20 years, and a close friend for much longer. When Donna and I first moved into Roy's neighborhood, he was a bit suspicious of these city folk who set about raising a family in the "jingweeds" as he called the area. Just five miles from the nearest town, we could have been pioneers, with rough roads, snakes, bobcats, and dust. It was an area where our children could jump on their motorcycles early in the morning and not return until supper. Moms would go to the door and listen; if they heard the buzzing of small engines, they knew all was well! As the neighborhood gently changed, and new people moved in, Roy became the Go To Guy whenever a problem came up. Never refusing help, and always going the extra mile, Roy was known far and wide. He had lived in the area since the late '50's and knew people and places that us newcomers had never heard of! After establishing that a newcomer was "worthwhile", Roy became a trusted friend.

The stories of Roy's escapades could go on all day, but let it be known that he was the person that they coined the phrase "Brute Force and Awkwardness" after! Roy feared no task, simply going after it like he knew what he was doing. After a long career in the maintenance division of ATT telephone company, he took an early retirement and formed an excavation/tractor company. At one point, his backhoe developed transmission problems. Roy built a scaffolding, found some chain, borrowed a big wrench, and proceeded to break that big backhoe into pieces! And you know what? It ran perfectly when he finished!

Roy was home working in the shop while his wife was shopping one day. She returned to find a trail of blood across the kitchen floor and then back out to the shop. No Roy to be found. After a bit, Roy called from the hospital to tell her that he had smashed his thumb with a 12 pound sledgehammer and drove himself to the emergency room! The thumb healed with a small amount of skin and flesh hanging off to one side. Roy complained that he hit that tender spot whenever he lit a cigarette. The next thing we knew, we had more blood....Roy just grabbed the offending skin and ripped it off!

Roy loved Springer Spaniels and had at least three that I know of. They were all named Chester and rode with him in his pickup wherever he went. They knew a good master when they saw one! Roy loved his Harley Davidson motorcycles almost as much as he loved his wife and his dog. Riding from California to Sturgis for the annual rally with his son was a highpoint of his life, and he kept pictures of the ride in his room till the end. He laughed and told how they rode to Sturgis, but had to rent a truck to bring the bikes home, because "my butt was sore!".

The man was a member of the Greatest Generation, and had a "can do" mentality. We never saw him take a drink of alcohol, but he smoked three packs of cigarettes a day and drank more coffee than can possibly be healthy! Yet he lived well into his 80's, probably just to annoy the Dr's. We will always remember that small sideways smile that let us know when he was pulling our leg, and we will always remember his wife Shirley saying "Oh, Roy!". She would get so annoyed with him, but they loved each other with all their hearts.

We'll miss you, Roy.