Ray, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend to many, passed away on April 18, 2026, in his home.
Ray was born on September 8, 1939, in Wilmington, Vermont, to Charles and Caroline (Johnson) Forrest. His humble beginnings on their family farm, along with his older brother Carl, taught them what hard work was like, from raking hay with pitchforks, cutting grass with a scythe, doing farm chores, mowing, and doing odd jobs for neighbors. He also worked at a filling station and grocery store. He had a deep appreciation for what he had and took immaculate care of anything that he had earned. The spare money he earned was spent on baseball gloves and balls and other sporting equipment, his first hunting rifle, a 300 Savage, and his first car, a 1941 Ford. He had a lifelong love of the Boston Red Sox, often sporting a Red Sox cap and t-shirt. He was fortunate to see many Red Sox games over his lifetime. Ray graduated from Wilmington High School in 1957 and then from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy in Boston in 1963. He also served in the Vermont Army National Guard, attending basic training at Fort Dix, New Jersey, and then the Vermont Military Academy, graduating as a Reserve Commissioned Officer, a Second Lieutenant, Armor Division.
Ray married Linda Porter on June 22, 1963, in Wilmington. They began their married life in Bennington, Vermont, where their two daughters, Nancy and Patricia, were born. In Bennington, he worked at Frost Pharmacy and Adams Drug and was fortunate to survive an armed robbery at Adams Drug, where he was shot in the leg by one of the robbers. In 1975, they moved to Montana, ending up in Livingston, where Ray began working at Livingston Drug. He had many lasting friendships with his co-workers, doctors, nurses, and customers he interacted with over the years. He remembered their names and genuinely cared about them and their families. He also worked at Western Drug and finally at Albertsons Pharmacy in Belgrade. He retired in 2001.
Ray and Linda had many great years of retirement, going south during the winter to Texas, Florida, Arizona and California. Ray loved college basketball, Duke being his favorite team. They went to the Final Four in San Antonio in 2004. Other things they enjoyed were shelling at South Padre Island, hiking on the birding trails, and watching their grandsons play baseball. We are thankful for his life well lived.
Ray is survived by his wife Linda, daughters: Nancy (Len) Anderson and Trish Freund, grandsons: Andy (Hannah), Pat (Caitlin), and Michael Freund, great grandchildren: Tallulah, Parker and Vivian, brother: Carl (Karen) Forrest, Niece & Nephew: Kristin Dobbins, Kevin Forrest and his daughter Morgan, Cousin: Billy Rice, dear friends and neighbors Larry & Gary Jones and beloved friends Terry & Karen McEneaney.
Ray was preceded in death by his father in 1976, his mother in 2000, and son-in-law Wally Freund in 2023.
