Charles Ellsworth Forbes, 81, a lifelong resident of Waterbury Center, passed away in the comfort of his home and family on Monday afternoon, April 24, 2017. Born in Morrisville on September 2, 1935, he was the son of the late Kathleen Ellsworth Forbes and Merwin Bishop Forbes. Charlie was previously married to the former Patricia Albert and they had one child, Scott Forbes of Warren, VT. In August of 1997, he met Karen Hoskiewicz Baker and they were married in Waterbury on March 20, 1998.
Being the son of an active Army officer, Charlie lived in many places and has been to every state in the U.S. except for Oregon, Washington and Alaska, and one island in Hawaii, Kawai. Charlie was a 1954 graduate of Herndon High School in Virginia. He joined the Army after high school for two years of active duty as a PFC and later served nine years of inactive reserve duty. In 1956, he attended Brevard College for one and a half years. Charlie had many jobs including but not limited to the following: employed as a head of outdoor operations, trail crew and ski patrol at Sugarbush Resort for five years; and worked on the construction of I-89; but was best known for his estimator and project manager skills, working for Manosh, R.S. Cooley, S.G. Phillips, Delphia Construction, Courtland Construction and Kingsbury Construction. Charlie even owned his own company, Forbes & Izor, for a short while. Working until he was 75, Charlie finally retired in 2010.
In his leisure time Charlie loved to fly and ski. He owned his own plane and flew around the country. He has skied at Sugarbush, Vale, Tahoe, Taos, Breckenridge and so many other places. He also enjoyed model plane kits, putting together hundreds. In his earlier years, he loved to hunt and fish. Charlie served the town of Waterbury as a volunteer firefighter and was a 50-plus-year member of the Masons, Winooski Lodge #49. Later in life, he became a Reiki practitioner and eventually a Karuna Reiki Master.
Charlie (or “Sweetie” as he was affectionately called) is very much loved and mourned by his wife, Karen, of Waterbury Center; his “adopted” daughters and their families: Katie Baker Higgins and her husband Dr. Jeff Higgins of Brookfield, VT, and their children, Chase, Tanner, and Mia; Nicole Baker Rose and her husband Dr. Matt Rose of Bridport, VT; and his son, Scott Forbes, and his children, Cameron and Schuyler; his sister, Nancy Dibbell and her husband Ken of Norwich, NY; many nieces, nephews and extended family. Charlie was predeceased by his brother, Howard Forbes.
So very many, many thanks go to Dr. Lucy Patti and her wonderful nurses and staff for the great care they have given to Charlie, especially during these past two years. Also to Dr. David Ospina and his staff whose care Charlie looked forward to. And we could not have gotten through the last few weeks without the loving and caring efforts of Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice.
Services and burial, at Charlie’s request, will take place privately with the family. Charlie has also requested, in lieu of flowers, memorial gifts be made to the Waterbury Firefighters Association, 28 North Main Street, Suite 1, Waterbury, VT 05676, Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice, 600 Granger Road, Barre, VT 05641 (www.cvhhh.org), or to Winooski Lodge #49 F&AM, PO Box 186, Waterbury, VT 05676. Assisting the family is Perkins-Parker Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Waterbury. To send online condolences visit www.perkinsparker.com.
