Loren Forbes

LOREN FORBES

North Liberty

Loren R. Forbes, 78, of North Liberty, lifetime Johnson County resident, died suddenly at his home Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2014. Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 29, at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service in Iowa City, with burial to follow at Ridgewood Cemetery in North Liberty. Visitation will be from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.

A memorial fund has been established in his memory.

Online condolences may be sent for his family through the Web at www.gayandciha.com.

Loren Robert Forbes was born Jan. 29, 1936, in Conesville, Iowa, the son of Daris and Irene (Mincer) Forbes. He was a graduate of Lone Tree High School in the class of 1953. On Oct. 27, 1956, Loren married Janet Rose Simon in Riverside, Iowa. For over 43 years, Loren was employed with the University of Iowa in the Audio Visual Center, the last 16 of those years as manager of equipment services and the media library. He also has farmed northeast of Lone Tree for nearly 30 years.

Loren was an avid Iowa Hawkeye fan and for the last 25 years, worked with the Sports Information Office at all home games, assisting with the media.

In his work at the university, Loren was a member of a number of professional organizations over the years. On the farm and in his personal time, he volunteered himself and his family for so much that was near and dear to him, including Ducks Unlimited, White Tails Unlimited, The Wild Turkey Federation, Johnson County Izaak Walton League, Iowa Wildlife Federation, National Wildlife Federation, Resource Enhancement and Protection and the Mayors Youth Employment Program, holding many offices on the local and national levels. Because of his support and commitment to these and other en-deavors, he has received numerous awards by Iowa's state governors over the years.

He was a man of the soil, a man who loved the Hawks, the St. Louis Cardinals, and Denver Broncos. He also loved hunting and fishing, mushroom hunting, homemade ice cream and penny slots. But most of all he loved his family, and was most proud of being a dad, grandpa and great-grandpa!

His family includes his wife, Janet; their children, Julie Forbes (Denise Theobald) of Park Ridge, Ill., Leslie Forbes and friend Machele Pfeifer of North Liberty, Scott Forbes (Mary) of Princeton, and Mark Forbes of North Liberty; six grandchildren, Jillian Anderson (Evan), Trisha Forbes, Stephanie Forbes Ahrens (Jon Ahrens), Jacob Forbes, Jordan Forbes and Cade Forbes; three great-grandchildren, Jerimiah Washpun, Jameson Forbes and Emma Ahrens; brother and his wife, Lowell and Linda Forbes of Lone Tree; sister-in-law, Betty Forbes of Lone Tree; numerous cousins, nieces and nephews; and his sidekick, Bella, Loren's dog.

He was preceded in death by their son, Jeff Forbes; brothers, Keith and Gerald Forbes; sister-in-law and her husband, Lois and Jim Cook; and daughter-in-law, Kate Forbes.

Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service is caring for Loren's family and his services.