Obituary of Barry Forman

FORMAN: After a brief illness and with family by his side, Barry William Forman passed away peacefully at his home in Victoria, BC on November 17, 2011. His calm and courageous acceptance of the cancer that so quickly overtook his body made his last weeks a memorable time of family togetherness; sharing stories, tears, joys, and above all, love. He left us in peace. Barry was born on July 30, 1943, the only son of Lorne and Minnie Forman and was raised in Rivers, MB with his sisters Nanette, Lorna, Judy and Denyse. On June 20, 1964 he married Bette Anderson and together they raised three gifted children, Kent (b.1965), Shauna (b.1968), and Jason (b.1971). Barry and Bette also lovingly accepted the responsibility of raising Bette's two younger sisters, Vicki and Suzan, who lived with them at their home in Rivers from 1966 until their high school graduations. Barry attended Rivers Collegiate and obtained a B. Science and B. Education from Brandon University while moonlighting on the CKX noon TV show with the band, The Country Gentlemen, and later, The Western Union. He entered the field of education as a science teacher with the Rolling River School Division at Rivers Collegiate, and soon became the division's Science Coordinator. Music played a large role in Barry's life. He was a skilled fiddler, bass guitarist and accordion player: a sought-after performer and recording artist who toured frequently with son Kent as a fiddling duo. Kent was, for a time, a professional violinist and Barry's daughter, Shauna, thrives at song writing and mentoring young musical talent. Forman Motors ("Not that far from you") was launched in 1973. Barry worked tirelessly for his fledgling business, which would eventually grow to include Forman Ford in Dauphin (1983) and Northland Ford in The Pas (1993). Barry's passion for aviation led to his acquiring his Pilot License and first private airplane in 1976. Ever the educator, he passed on his love of flying to his youngest son, Jason, now a Senior Captain with Cathay Pacific Airways in Hong Kong, and his love of business to his oldest son Kent, owner of Forman Honda and Forman Mazda in Brandon, MB. In 2009, Barry retired from business and relocated to Victoria, BC. Barry was predeceased by his father Lorne (1978), his mother Minnie (1991), and sister-in-law Vicki Broughton (2005). Left to mourn this great loss are his former wife Bette Anderson of Victoria with whom he had reunited, son Kent (Naomi) and their daughters Ava and Anne of Brandon, daughter Shauna and her son Joshua Graham of Calgary and son Jason of Hong Kong. He will also be sadly missed by his four sisters: sister Nanette of Victoria and her children Maureen Landa-McGavin (Doug) and Ryan Landa (Valerie), sister Lorna Short (Gerry) of Rapid City, sister Judith of Victoria and her daughter Sarah Svensson, and sister Denyse of Virden and her daughter Alexandra. He also leaves to mourn Suzan Ramsey (Don) and their daughter Lexa, nieces Brodie Anderson (Brock) and Jena Banville (Bert), step-daughters Marcia Kyle and Gennyne McCune and their mother Lesley, four great-nephews, many cousins and extended family. A memorial service to celebrate Barry's life will be held at Central United Church in Brandon, MB on Monday, November 28, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. In memory of Barry, please tell your loved ones over the age of 50 that a routine bi-annual colonoscopy saves lives. It would have saved his.