Ray Forrest

Ray, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend to many, died on April 18, in his home.

Ray was born on September 8, 1939, in Wilmington, VT, to Charles and Caroline (Johnson) Forrest. His humble beginnings on their family farm, along with his older brother Carl, taught him what hard work was like, from raking hay with pitch forks, cutting grass with a scythe, doing farm chores, mowing, and doing odd jobs for neighbors. He also worked at a filling station and grocery store. He had a deep appreciation for what he had and took immaculate care of anything that he had earned. The spare money he earned was spent on baseball gloves, balls, and other sporting equipment; his first hunting rifle, a 300 Savage; and his first car, a 1941 Ford. He had a lifelong love of the Boston Red Sox, often sporting a Red Sox cap and t-shirt. He was fortunate to see many Red Sox games over his lifetime.

Ray graduated from Wilmington High School in 1957 and then from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy in Boston in 1963. He also served in the Vermont Army National Guard, attending basic training at Fort Dix, NJ, and then the Vermont Military Academy, graduating as a reserve commissioned officer, a Second Lieutenant, armor division.

Ray married Linda Porter on June 22, 1963 in Wilmington. They began their married life in Bennington, VT, where their two daughters, Nancy and Patricia, were born. In Bennington, he worked at Frost Pharmacy and Adams Drug and was fortunate to survive an armed robbery at Adams Drug, where he was shot in the leg by one of the robbers. In 1975 they moved to Montana, ending up in Livingston where Ray began working at Livingston Drug. He had many lasting friendships with his co-workers, doctors, nurses, and customers he interacted with over the years. He remembered their names and genuinely cared about them and their families. He also worked at Western Drug and finally at Albertsons Pharmacy in Belgrade. He retired in 2001.

Ray and Linda had many great years of retirement, going south during the winter to Texas, Florida, Arizona, and California. Ray loved college basketball, Duke being his favorite team. They went to the Final Four in San Antonio in 2004. Other things they enjoyed were shelling at South Padre Island, TX; hiking on the birding trails; and watching their grandsons play baseball. We are thankful for his life well lived.

Ray is survived by his wife, Linda; daughters, Nancy (Len) Anderson, and Trish Freund; grandsons, Andy (Hannah), Pat (Caitlin), and Michael Freund; great-grandchildren, Tallulah, Parker, and Vivian; brother, Carl (Karen) Forrest; niece and nephew, Kristin Dobbins and Kevin Forrest; Kevin’s daughter, Morgan; cousin, Billy Rice; dear friends and neighbors, Larry and Gary Jones; and beloved friends, Terry and Karen McEneaney.

Ray was preceded in death by his father in 1976, his mother in 2000, and son-in-law Wally Freund in 2023.

No services are planned. Franzen-Davis Funeral Home has been entrusted with the care of Ray and his family. To leave a condolence go to https://www.franzen-davis.com/obituaries/ray-forrest.