Forest
Dragons, video games, Legos, robots, Transformers . . . Forest always had something to show and tell. To anyone – he befriended all and counted among his friends doctors, nurses, a sheriff, a pedicab driver, parking lot attendants, a Chinese restaurant manager, doormen, waitresses and more.
Born on May 11, 1995, along with his twin sister, Mary Caroline, Forest’s life began in St. Louis, Missouri. After moving to Kentucky, Forest and Caroline attended Immaculate Conception Pre-School in LaGrange and then were enrolled in kindergarten at Crestwood Elementary.
It was in these first years of his life that even through biased parental eyes, one could tell that Forest was a special and incredible person. He was bright and clever. Even more so, he had a sense of self and certainty, tempered by a caring and tender, side that never wavered.
Forest shared his compassion and zest for life with everyone. He was quick to know what he wanted and liked, but open to anyone whenever he got a chance . . .
He learned hand-gesture greetings from his friend the doorman – a salutation he dubbed the New York Knuckle.
He showed and demonstrated the workings of his Transformer to a parking garage attendant, prompting the attendant to pull Forest’s dad to the side and say, “Do you know how many kids I see every week? Let me tell you, hundreds. Do you know how many talk to me, or even pay me any attention? Let me tell you, very few. That is a wonderful child you have there.”
Forest learned to count to ten in Chinese from his friend the restaurant manager. And he taught the county sheriff, a man he had never met before, about robots for over an hour one day.
He had the desire to reach out to everyone and the power to capture their interest and attention. He is defined by his great strengths and positive qualities, of which he possessed more than most. Like anyone, though, Forest wasn’t perfect in some defined sense, and had his faults. But what Forest was, was Forest. He was himself and he always knew, never doubting, that that was just what he was and wanted to be.
Whatever it is, Forest had it. And he remains our hero, our inspiration and always by our side.