Richard Forst

Richard Harvey Forst, 79, of Bryan, formerly of Brenham, died Nov. 21, 2019, in Bryan.

Visitation will be from 5:00-7:00 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 25 at Memorial Oaks Chapel. The funeral service will be at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 26 at Memorial Oaks Chapel with Pastor Art Free officiating. Burial will be at Lake Bethel Cemetery in La Grange, IN.

Rich was born Sept. 15, 1940, in Sturgis, MI, to Fred and Esther (Olds) Forst. He grew up in agriculture on his family’s 30-plus head Jersey dairy in northern Indiana. On Aug. 25, 1963, he was married to Mary Lynne Groosbeck.

After graduating from Tri State University with a degree in electrical engineering, Rich worked for Bendix Corporation in the missile division in South Bend, IN. He traveled across the United States installing missile equipment and coordinating test firings and studied computer programming at California State University-Long Beach. Rich even spent some time as a civilian aboard U.S. Navy vessels on both coasts working on their missile systems.

Rich then went to work for Texas Instruments where he was their sales administrator heading up North American sales for Texas Instruments with a staff of more than 500. He retired in 2018 from Brenham National Bank as their senior vice president of marketing for 23 years.

Rich served as the Texas Junior Simmental/Simbrah Junior Association advisor from 1985-1991. He made significant contributions to the association by modernizing the scoring and tabulating of the state contest by incorporating computer technology, a technology he knew well. For years, Rich was the voice of the Washington County Fair Junior Heifer Show. Rich served on the board of the Washington County Fair and served as president of the fair in 1995 and 1996. As president, he was instrumental in adding Gospel Day to the fair’s activities.

Rich enjoyed attending Aggie football games and had a love for antique tractors and steam engines.

The most important thing to know about Rich is that he loved Jesus. Given the opportunity, Rich would incorporate Jesus into almost every conversation. Rich talked the talk, but more importantly, walked the walk. He was instrumental in planting Western Meadows Christian Church in Houston, where he also led worship. After a move to Brenham in 1978, he joined the First Christian Church and served as worship leader, taught Sunday school, served as an elder and occasionally preached. When Rich and Mary Lynne moved to Round Top in 2004, he joined the Round Top Church Christian Fellowship, led the men’s Bible study and served as substitute preacher.

Rich believed in Jesus, he followed Jesus and he loved Jesus. Today we celebrate because Rich is finally where he always wanted to be … in Heaven with Jesus.

Survivors include his wife: Mary Lynne Forst of Bryan; son and daughter-in-law: Michael and Misty Forst of Austin; daughters and sons-in-law: Annette and Oran Mikeal and Lisa and Les Williams, all of College Station; and grandchildren: Allison and Lindsey Burenheide, John, Jamie and Jason Forst, Abigayle and Olivia Williams and Matt Mikeal, sister-in-law: Sandra Groosbeck, nephews: Tim and Kathy Groosbeck, Ted and Bonnie Groosbeck, and niece: Natalie and Shawn Targgart.

He was preceded in death by his parents: Fred and Esther Forst, his father-in-law and mother-n-law: Charles and Karolyn Groosbeck, brothers-in-law and sister-in-law: Jack and Annalee Groosbeck and Jeff Groosbeck.

Memorials in memory of Rich may be sent to Hospice Brazos Valley, 502 W. 26th St., Bryan, TX 77803, www.hospicebrazosvalley.org or Christian Witness to Israel (North America) 6401 S. 50th St., Rogers, AR 72758, (479)225-4269, www.cwina.org, www.facebook.com/cwina, or email: [email protected].

Funeral arrangements for Rich Forst are entrusted to Memorial Oaks Chapel, 1306 W. Main St., Brenham, TX, 979-836-4564.

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