On April 1, 2020, Thomas Lee Forster, a well-loved husband, father, and Orland community member passed away peacefully in his home at the age of 82. He was born to Raymond and Gertrude Forster, with brothers Ray and Jack, at Cottage Hospital in San Rafael, California on July 4th, 1937, although Tom liked to claim that his mother asked the nurse to adjust his birth time to one minute before midnight so that he wouldn't have the same birthday as his oldest brother, Ray. Tom is survived by his wife of almost 60 years, Marti, his five children Shari (Ken), Patti (Lori), Tami (Barb), David (Cambria), and Karen (Darren), his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. As a young boy, Tom developed a love for animals, especially birds, and had many beloved pets over the years. A story from his childhood that he recounted often over the past year was that when he was a boy, he worked for a neighbor who was an ornithologist, studying woodpeckers and hummingbirds in northern California. He loved this first job dearly and was devastated that when he asked for a 5 cent raise to his 20 cents daily wage, his boss said, "your services are no longer needed." He learned from that experience to be grateful for what he had and to never ask for more than he needed. He continued his love of nature with his studies in college and then fell in love with his "brown-eyed girl," Marti Forster. Together, they moved to central California to finish his teaching credential at the University of Davis. His agricultural teaching degree eventually landed him a teaching job at Orland High School where he and Marti settled and raised their family. Tom's interests expanded beyond the classroom to the point that he retired early from teaching and went into business for himself with his best friend, Tor Noraas, and a single watering truck contracted to water the Oleanders in the center divide of I-5. Fond of live auctions, silent bidding, and the value in things discarded, Tom opened Military Merchandise (long since closed), Parts R Us Auto Dismantling, and Surplus Steel and Pipe Company both off of highway 32 south of Orland. Tom was gracious to everyone he met which established many connections in the community and beyond. One of his favorite business moments was when he knew a guy who needed a crane and knew another guy selling a crane, so he made $600 on a single phone call. For Tom, time was about opportunities, not time on the clock. His favorite part of any workday was the early morning opportunity to joke around with friends over coffee. In addition to his businesses, Tom volunteered his time as an elected member of the Orland School Board for over twenty years. With his family, Tom was a proud provider, a gentle husband, and a father who would peel everyone's oranges and toss them across the living room, would pull over to show his kids what cotton in a field feels like, would point out the red-winged blackbirds on the side of the road, would enjoy laughter and strategy games together, and was the originator of many misadventures on the way to or on Black Butte Lake with their family boat, the Turtle Tub. He will be sorely missed by his family and friends.

Due to COVID-19 and the state shelter-in-place, there will be no funeral service. A celebration of Tom's life will be announced and held later this year.