Gary Forster Obituary

Gary Armstrong Forster SUMMERVILLE - Gary Armstrong Forster-environmental engineer extraordinaire, beloved and loving brother and father, adored and adoring Pop-Pop-died in the loving embrace of his family in Summerville, South Carolina on July 13, a few months shy of his 70th birthday. Gary faced a devastating diagnosis of metastatic cancer with dignity, grace, courage and humor and continued to live a purposeful, meaningful life throughout the two and a half years of his illness and treatment. In doing so, he set an example for us all. He also set an example in the fine art of being a devoted father and doting grandfather. A native of Lancaster, PA and graduate of McCaskey High School, Gary earned not one but two Bachelor's degrees from Penn State, a BA in political science and, several years later, a BS in mechanical engineering-with distinction. In diligent pursuit of further professional credentials, he went on to earn a Master's in engineering, in environmental pollution control, from Penn State while working full-time. He was especially proud to earn his Pennsylvania engineer's license. Gary served as a senior manager in contract administration for the Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority for 23 years, from 1989 to 2012. He had a pivotal role in overseeing the operations of a facility that converts waste to energy, launched in the early 1990s as a pioneering effort in renewable resources. Prior to his tenure at LCSWMA, Gary spent five years as a Project Engineer for Nuclear Energy Consultants, Inc., of Rockville, MD, including extended work onsite at nuclear power plants in California and New Jersey. Throughout his career, he touched many bases, from co-authoring codes for nuclear reactors to providing expert testimony in contract disputes and presenting a paper on landfill reclamation to the Solid Waste Association of North America. He fortified his knowledge and expertise with ongoing courses in sustainability, control of greenhouse gas emissions, and waste-to-energy conversion. Gary's greatest engineering feat, truth be told, was to create and nurture a sustainable environment of love and support for his children and grandchildren, a trait he shared with his father, namesake and fellow engineer. Being there for his kids and grandkids was a priority that came to him naturally, whether he was traveling to New York, Las Vegas, Orlando, and Hershey to see son Ben perform as a Blue Man, or making an epic life decision to pack up and move from Lancaster to South Carolina to be close to his daughter, Lauren and her family, where he gave generously and unstintingly of his time, effort and energy. His three young grandsons became a focal point of his life and his love, and they returned the favor. We cherish our memories of Nesshead, as he was affectionately known-no connection to Loch Ness, every connection to sweetness and kindness. We will remember his wonderful sense of humor, his appetite for books (a voracious reader), his running and cycling regimens, his affinity for crossword puzzles and photography, his love of golf and fluid golf swing (played on the team at McCaskey), and his abiding strength in the face of adversity. Gary was preceded in death by his parents, Armstrong Hugh and Mary Jean Forster, and by two sisters, Sharon Lynn Forster and Jill Forster Pennington. He is survived by his daughter, Lauren Forster Callison, DMD (Richard), of Summerville, SC; son, Benjamin Hugh Abel Forster, of Brooklyn, NY; and grandsons, Colton, Cameron and Richard Callison of Summerville, SC. In addition, he is survived by three sisters-Laurel F. Plank (Delton) of Pennsburg, PA; Lynn F. Fitz (John) of Lawton, OK; Gail F. Deck (Roy III) of Womelsdorf, PA; and a brother, Jeff Forster (Cynthia) of New Milford, NJ. Survivors also include Anne Abel Butterfield, former spouse and the mother of his children, of Ravenel, SC; and admiring cousins, nieces and nephews across the country and around the world. A celebration of Gary's life will take place in Lancaster, PA on October 15. Details forthcoming. Donations in his memory will be gratefully received by the Prostate Cancer Foundation and appreciated by all in the family. The family would like to thank Dr. George Keogh of Charleston Oncology, Charleston, SC; Drs. Robert Uzzo and Fern Anari of Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA; and the helpful staff of New York Presbyterian Hospital and the University of Georgia Cancer & Blood Center in Athens, GA. James A. Dyal Funeral Home, Summerville, SC, provided cremation services. We mourn what we've lost while giving thanks for all that we've gained in a lifetime shared with this extraordinary man. Visit our guestbook at legacy.com/obituaries/charleston