Obituary

The Best Father. Devoted Husband. Up for Anything Brother. Loyal Son. The Fun Tito. Best Friend. Guy’s Guy. Muscle Man. Caretaker. Gym Rat. Hunter. Cancer Survivor. Icon.

Gary Christopher Forte was born to John Elliott Forte and Delia Lacson Forte in Santa Barbara, California on August 24, 1952. Gary was the third of five children: Wayne and Dennis his older brothers, and Deborah and Susan his younger sisters.

Gary attended Vieja Valley Grammar School, La Colina Elementary School, and San Marcos High School, all in Santa Barbara. Gary stood out as an excellent illustrator. He also attended classes at Santa Barbara City College in Hotel and Restaurant Management, but eventually found his real passion in the great outdoors as a recurve bowman and led many hunting trips.

In the course of time the Forte siblings all made their way back together to live at some point and for various lengths of time on the Forte Ranch compound, a group of several small structures – an 1880s cottage, a tool shed, a trailer and a water tower – on a 40 acre avocado ranch in Santa Barbara. Choosing to live so close as adults was a testament to their unbreakable bond and overwhelming sense of family. Gary roamed the hills around Santa Barbara and got into more than his share of trouble with his dog, Sonny, always in the back of his truck. He was an avid bow hunter and would spend days in the wildest of wildernesses stalking and hunting big game.

Eventually Gary ended up joining the rest of the Forte family in their slow migration south to Orange County. He settled up the street from his parents, John and Delia, in Laguna Niguel for the last 20 some years of their lives.  It was one of his greatest blessings to his family to care for and chauffeur his parents around as they aged. Gary was by Delia’s side when she suffered a sudden and unexpected aneurism. He went on to be the primary caregiver for John for another 18 months and saw him through to the end of his battle with Parkinson’s Disease. Gary humbly said it was the least he could do, given all that they’d done for him.

Gary influenced many people during his life, but doubtfully any group more than his 11 nieces and nephews. He was “the Fun Tito,” forever opting to sit at the kids table for holidays, taking them paintballing and swimming, teaching them to shoot bows, and notoriously hopping them up on massive amounts of sugar before returning them to their parents and peacing out! The perfect combination of rascally and relatable, Gary undoubtedly impacted the next generation and was an example of how to be a close-knit family.

In his mid-50s, long after Gary, much less anyone else, thought he’d settle down, he headed off to a birthday party for a friend. He got a little turned around and happened to knock on the door of the wrong house for the party. That wrong house, however, was having a party of its own, for a friendly, positive, beautiful woman named Kelly.  Kelly’s mom, Gail, invited Gary in, and in the end he never did make it to that other party that day. Gary and Kelly had a whirlwind romance and were married within a year. In another year they added miracle twin babies – a boy and a girl – to their family. Lincoln and Avery were Gary and Kelly’s dream come true and completed their beautiful love.

Over his 71 years Gary had a large and wide range of jobs – large machinery operator, real estate agent, investor, real estate manager, and, most recently, a three year stint as a graveyard grocery store stocker so that Kelly could be a stay at home mom to Lincoln and Avery when they were first born. However, none of these held a candle to the job he eventually excelled at and was most proud of – being a Stay at Home Dad. He was the driver of the family, and took Lincoln to his club basketball practices and games all over Orange County, and spent countless hours working on the game with him. He trailered Avery’s horse and took them all over Southern California to show/compete. He was the technology advisor for the family and the nurse when anyone was sick. For every passion and idea the kids had, Gary was on board as provider, driver, and biggest fan! Horses, basketball, bikes, football, snowboarding, you name it, and Gary was all in. In 14 years, he never spent a single night away from Kelly, Lincoln or Avery. It was in fatherhood that he found his life’s true purpose.

In the last decade and a half of his life, Gary made a house their home in San Clemente, and formed a wonderful community in his gym and the kids’ school. Their family of four traveled the world together.  They loved and gave homes to many cats, fish and dogs, namely his beloved Yogi. Against all odds, Gary beat liver cancer. He helped his siblings fix up and sell their family-owned drive-in theater in Santee. While he hung up his bow for good when he met Kelly, he continued daily 5am workouts (even during chemo!) and had the physique of a 40 year old.

Gary lived life on this earth to its absolute fullest right up until the very end. His loved ones surrounded him as he lost a quick yet valiant battle with Sepsis on September 11, 2024 at Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo.

A memorial service will be held September 27, 2024 at 11am at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, 105 N La Esperanza, San Clemente. In lieu of flowers, donations are welcome to the San Clemente Dana Point Animal Shelter, where so many of the Forte’s four legged loves have been rescued.

Gary is survived by his loving wife, Kelly O’Hearn Forte; amazing children, Lincoln and Avery Forte; siblings, Wayne (Valeria) Forte, Dennis (Katie) Forte, Deborah (Paul) Sczudlo and Susan (Dusty) Boyd; and 11 nieces and nephews. We are all left with decades of colorful memories and so much love because of this man.