LIVELY—Leonard Ray Forrester of Lively died December 14, 2023.
Ray was born in Richmond, the son of Ivis Leonard Forrester and Ridia C. Pittman Forrester, on August 18, 1948. He was raised in Lancaster County surrounded by a loving family of uncles, aunts and cousins.
Ray was baptized and a member of Lebanon Baptist Church. He graduated from Lancaster High School in 1966 and went on to RPI and graduated from Purdue University with honors with a degree in constructional engineering in 1970. Ray was a member of Phi Kappa Theta. He was introduced to his wife, Alexis Golgart, by one of his fraternity brothers who was dating one of her sorority sisters.
After graduation, Ray enlisted in the United States Army in the Corp of Engineers where he served proudly from 1970 to 1973 and rose to the rank of first lieutenant.
In 1973, Ray joined his father in the construction business, building custom homes and buildings in the Northern Neck of Virginia. Ray was a man with great integrity which he has passed down to his son when Chris joined the company.
A week after Lex graduated from Purdue University, the couple married on December 29, 1973, and moved to Lancaster County where they built their home and raised their son, Christopher Leonard; and daughter, Jill Marie. Ray led a Boy Scout troop for Chris while Lex led a Girl Scout troop for Jill. There are many stories to be told about the Boy Scouts, their fathers, their camping experiences and their spaghetti dinners. Ray and Lex enjoyed taking their kids camping with their cousins up in the mountains in the fall where they experienced rain, snow, or unseasonably warm weather.
Ray supported his community by joining Upper Lancaster Volunteer Fire Department where he held many offices, helped in fund raising and became a Lifetime member. As a member of Lebanon Baptist Church, Ray served as Sunday school director, and was a member of the building committee and maintenance committee. He also served on the Lancaster County Planning Commission. Ray joined the local Jaycees chapter, held several offices and was a district director. There were many adventures with constructing and running the Jaycees Haunted Houses.
Ray was passionate about hunting and Alfonso Hunt Club. He loved being out in nature during a hunt, hearing the dogs run, and getting a shot at a big buck. Ray shared his love of hunting with his son, Chris; his two grandsons, Kincaid and Nathan; and his granddaughter, Cyndy. Hunting bears in Maine and elk in Colorado were adventures of a lifetime. Ray supported the Alfonso Hunt Club scholarship program to help young hunters get a head start on their college education.
Ray died peacefully at home surrounded by family after suffering from a blood disorder, MDS. He is survived by his loving wife of 50 years, Lex; their son, Chris, and his wife, Teresa, and their son, Nathan; their daughter, Jill, and her husband, Kirk DeVine, and their children, Kincaid and Cyndy. Also surviving is his sister, Betty Williams; nephews, Dwayne Williams and Daryl Williams and his wife, Patti, and their children, Matt, Brandon and Molly; lots of cousins and “in-laws and out-laws.”
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Ray’s memory to Alfonso Hunt Club Scholarship Fund, 104 Spencer Lane, Weems, 22576; Upper Lancaster Volunteer Fire Dept., PO Box 205, Lively, 22507; or Lebanon Baptist Church, PO Box 344, Lively, 22507.
The service will be held at 1 p.m. December 31 at Lebanon Baptist Church in Alfonso with visitation an hour before the service. Burial will follow the service in the church cemetery.
Currie Funeral Home LLC of Kilmarnock handled the arrangements.
