Forest Moroni Richey

Forest Moroni Richey, 83, passed away at his home on Willow Lake on March 26, 2017. A service will be held Saturday, April 1, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Downing Road in Willow (Mile 67.5 Parks Hwy). The viewing will be at 10 a.m. with the service to follow at 11 a.m.

Forest was born on May 31, 1933, to Leslie Jay Richey and Mabel James in St. Johns, Arizona. He attended elementary school there, then his family moved to Bend, Oregon, where he graduated from Bend High School.

After graduation Forest enlisted in the Air Force, where he was trained as a fighter pilot for the Korean War. Forest was a member of the Local 302 International Union of Operating Engineers for 50-plus years, working at locations all over the state of Alaska. He was also the first school bus contractor in the Willow area.

Forest married Virginia Gail Taylor on Jan. 1, 1958. That same month he filed on a homestead on Willow Lake. He raised three sons there, Forest Moroni Richey Jr., Perry Ansen Richey, and William Leslie Richey. He has 13 grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; sisters, Scharlotte Barney and Autumn Richey; and an older brother who died at birth.

Forest was active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and was a member of the first Branch Presidency of the newly built Willow building. Later in life he served two missions for the Church at the LDS Bishop’s storehouse in the Butte area.