Donovan Charles Forbes

In the noon hour of Friday, August 22, 2025, following a pleasant morning of conversation with  family, Don passed away unexpectedly.  A resident of Meadow View Senior Living in Clinton, Tennessee, Don had been experiencing escalating health and mobility issues in recent weeks.  He was 92 years old.

Don was born in a front room of his family's modest home on August 4th,1933 in Hammond, Louisiana.  He was the younger of two sons of Max James and Mildred Wolf Forbes.  Born during tough times of hard-working parents, Don worked a variety of jobs in his youth.  A quick learner and always competitive, Don excelled in his classes, played in the school band and was a fine athlete.  With the premature death of his father, Don joined the Army at the age of 18, took his ukulele and coronet, and shipped out to Korea.  Upon his safe return, he attended Southeastern Louisiana College in Hammond under the G.I. Bill, his military service having provided both income for Don and his mother, as well as the means to advance his education.  While at SLC, he dated Susan Hyde, an English major and daughter of one of the college professors, who lived just down the road from his home.  They soon married, and upon his graduation they moved to Baton Rouge, where at LSU Don pursued a master's degree in Forest Management and Susan continued her studies in English Education.  While in Baton Rouge, they started a family with the births of sons David in 1958 and Steve in 1959, with both young parents continuing their studies and Don also student-teaching.  Upon their graduation two years later, the family moved to Norris, Tennessee for Don's new job as a staff forester with the Tennessee Valley Authority and Susan teaching English at Norris High School. After a couple of years, the family moved to Gainesville, Florida, where Don pursued a PhD in Forest Genetics at the University of Florida while serving concurrently as a graduate instructor.  It was there in 1964 that Susan's and Don's third son Alan was born.  Upon Don's graduation in 1966, the family moved back to Norris, where Don resumed his work with TVA.  In 1970, the family settled into the home where Susan and Don would live for over fifty years.

While rising in the ranks at TVA, Don continued to seek varying work and training opportunities.  During a one-year exchange program with TVA and the National Forest Service in Atlanta, Don enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve.  In both the TVA and the Coast Guard Reserve, he exemplified his dedication to hard work, innovation and continuing education, holding high expectations for those with whom he worked.  Rising to position of Forestry Project Manager, Don worked diligently to advance the agency's initiatives.  In managing people, he helped secure and advance the careers of others serving alongside him.  A champion for some, an outspoken critic of others, Don was known for often adding "colorful commentary" to many professional and personal experiences.

Outside of work, Don enjoyed playing his guitar and cornet, and listening to music, especially from the big band swing era – his favorite.  His athleticism and competitiveness prompted many years playing team sports in men's softball and basketball leagues, as well as coaching Little League baseball and attending games when his sons played. An avid golfer, Don played into his eighties. He also enjoyed camping trips with his family and working alongside his boys, hauling firewood and other tasks.  In retirement, he traveled extensively, continued with golfing and with his music, and later with recording family history as well as other creative writing.  He was especially interested in the pursuits and achievements of his children and grandchildren, always keen to share with them his insights regarding their educational and professional endeavors.

Don was preceded in death by his wife of 64 years, Susan Elaine Hyde Forbes; his father, Max James Forbes, Sr.; his mother, Mildred Wolf Forbes; and his brother, Max James Forbes, Jr.

Don is survived by his son, David R. Forbes and his wife, Gwen, of Clinton; his son, Steven C. Forbes and his wife, Martha, of Norris; and his son, Alan S. Forbes and his wife, Liz, of Statesboro, GA; grandchildren Daniel Forbes and his wife, Lisa; Rachel Bradley and her husband, Sean; Rebecca Grey and her husband, Cameron; Kathryn Blatchford and her husband Brendan; Samuel Forbes; Joshua Forbes; Lainey Upchurch and her husband, Alan; Anna McBride and her husband, Colin; and great-grandchildren Angelo, Fiora, Leo, Natali, Jio, Adeline, Sydney, Genevieve, Harper, Declan, Lochlan, baby Blatchford due December 2025 and baby McBride due April 2026; many nieces, nephews and extended family and very dear friends from Norris.

The family will receive friends on Sunday, August 31, from 1:30 pm to 3 pm at Holley Gamble Funeral Home, Clinton, TN, with the graveside service to follow at Norris Memorial Gardens.

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages memorial donations designated for the Norris Sports Complex, City of Norris, PO Box 1090, Norris, TN 37828.

Special thanks are given on behalf of the family to the many caretakers at Meadow View Senior Living for over two years of selfless dedication and service; Shalom Hospice for additional care over the past few weeks; and to the friends and family who respect and remember Don, his life and legacy. Holley Gamble Funeral Home in Clinton is in charge of all arrangements. Holleygamble.com