Richard J. Forsley passed away unexpectedly Christmas evening. After spending the day with family and enjoying gift giving, wine, and his favorite meal rack of lamb, Dick returned to his apartment at Piper Shores Assisted Living and left us sometime during the night.
Dick was born September 1, 1930 in Boston, MA. He attended Billerica High School and Tufts University, graduating in 1952. At Billerica High School Dick played on the basketball and football teams, served as class president, and was on the dance committee. He graduated from Tufts with a degree in Mathematics.
He served two years in the Army where he was stationed in Stuttgart, Germany. He fondly recalled getting orders to befriend a local pub owner in the hopes that he could expose the barman as a German spy attempting to extract information from U.S. servicemen. Despite visiting two or three times a week and enjoying many pastrami sandwiches and cold beers, he was never once solicited for military information. After receiving an honorary discharge Dick returned to Boston to begin a career in insurance that spanned nearly 50 years, receiving many designations and accolades. While employed at Liberty Mutual in Boston he met his future wife of 56 years, Barbara Lawrence.
Dick and Barbara married in March 1957 and lived a life of sport, travel, dining, and dancing. Along the way they had seven children… all boys! Their careers moved them from MA to NY and PA, then back again to MA, settling in Manchester-by-the-Sea in 1966. There Dick resided for 53 years before moving to Scarborough, ME in September 2019.
Dick was a great athlete and coach. As a young man Dick was an outstanding tennis player at Tufts and later won tournaments in Germany while in the service. He played through his adult life and had many a spirited match against Art Landy, Ed Bresnahan and Jim Snow among others during the heyday of tennis in the 70’s and 80’s. Dick transformed his yard at 36 Walker Road into a sports complex. He constructed soccer goals and built a regulation pitching mound in the front half of the yard. The other half was reserved for whiffle ball. During the winter he would flood the backyard into a makeshift pond-hockey rink. Dick coached his sons during a twenty-year career as a Manchester Little League coach. And he never missed the Forsley boys’ annual Thanksgiving Day football game well into his 60’s (the seven boys needed Dick to create even sides).
Dick’s true love and passion was his wife Barbara. They loved to travel to Hawaii, Bermuda, California and Europe. They shared a mutual love of fine-dining and fine-drinking, but most of all they loved to dance. When the band started up, the Forsleys hit the floor.
Dick also had a deep-rooted love for the Shipyard Brewing Company. Cousin Fred Forsley and Dick’s son Bruce are partners at Shipyard, and Dick joined the team. Even though he was at the height of his insurance career, his office at Aon Risk Services in Boston was filled with Shipyard literature. He had Shipyard business cards created and worked the MA market “pro bono.” Dick organized company events and appointments around Shipyard accounts and traveled on several Shipyard team tours with Master Brewer Alan Pugsley to Ringwood, England. Every year he gave all his clients Shipyard calendars to start the New Year.
Dick may have considered raising his seven sons his greatest accomplishment. He put a premium on education and through example taught his sons the importance of goodness and morality. Dick was generous to family and friends and truly would treat all he met with sincerity and without prejudice. He was painfully saddened by the loss of his sons Drew and Craig in the last two years.
Dick was the son of Thomas Forsley III and Ella Armstrong Forsley. He adored his sisters Franny and Sissy and his brother Thomas Forsley IV. He also cared for his Aunt Lena Rowe both emotionally and financially until her passing.
He is survived by his sons Lawrence of San Diego, CA, Bruce and his wife Jenn of Scarborough, ME, Richard and his partner Mary of Oakland, ME, David of Vernon, CT, Alan and his wife Angelina of Los Angeles, CA, and daughter-in-law Giovanna along with 10 grandchildren. Dick was predeceased by his wife Barbara in 2013, son Drew in 2018, and son Craig in 2019. He is also survived by his sister Francis ‘Franny’ of Montpelier, VT, sister Faye ‘Sissy’ of Billerica, MA, and brother Thomas of Wells, ME.
Dick is also survived by his life-long friends George and June Nickless of Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA. George and Dick were playmates in Billerica and remained close for 85 years. George and June have been wonderfully loving and supportive friends.
The family would like to thank Piper Shores Assisted Living for making the last four months of Dicks life inspiring and comfortable. We had hoped that he was going to be a resident at Piper Shores for many more years.
There will be a graveside service at the National Cemetery in Bourne, MA followed by a memorial reception in Manchester-by-the-Sea sometime in the spring of 2020. When the details have been confirmed a notice will be posted.
