Forest K. Davis
- Published: April 17, 2008
Forest K. Davis of Calais, Vt. died at his home after a short illness on Saturday, April 5. He was 90.
Forest was born in Nashua, N.H., the son of Harold M. and Evangeline Foster Davis. He lived his early years in Nashua, attending elementary school and high school, and being an active member of the Unitarian Church of Nashua. He spent summers at the family farm on Foster Hill in North Calais, Vt.
Forest graduated from Harvard College before joining the Army Air Force in 1943, serving in the Pacific until the close of World War II. Following the war, he finished his studies at Harvard Divinity School on the G.I. Bill.
Forest married Elizabeth Herriott of New York City and Winfield, Kan. in 1946. They spent four years in Cambridge Mass, then moved to Vermont where Forest was employed by Goddard College for 17 years as a teacher of philosophy and then dean of the Greatwood campus. In 1967 he came to Yellow Springs, and served as dean of faculty at Wilberforce University in Xenia, Ohio. Forest then worked at Empire State College, Glen Cove, N.Y., and later Binghamton, N.Y., as mentor and administrator, before retiring to his home in Calais in 1983.
After he retired, Forest joined the East Montpelier Volunteer Fire Department. He was an active member of the fire department for 15 years.
Forest was a member of the Unitarian Church of Montpelier since 1952, serving on the executive and other committees, and more recently singing in the church choir. He also attended Friends Meeting in Plainfield in the summers for many years.
Forest was the founder of Adamant Press, a publishing house specializing in books on educational theory, writing three volumes on the educational history of Goddard as well as a biography of local poet Sylvia Bliss. In recent years he was very active in organizing the historical archive at Goddard College.
Forest was preceded in death by his brother, Arthur K. Davis.
Forest is survived by his wife, Elizabeth (Betty) Davis; his sister Priscilla Davis Backman; his daughters, Margo Kelley and Katharine Davis; his sons, William Davis and Charles (Sam) Davis; and three grandchildren; Alicia Kelley Raymond, Justin Kelley and Emily Davis.
A service for Forest was held at the Unitarian Church of Montpelier on Saturday, April 12, at 1 p.m., with a reception following at the church. The family requests that instead of flowers, donations be made to Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice, Inc. 600 Granger Rd., Barre, VT 05641, or to the Unitarian Church of Montpelier, 130 Main St, Montpelier, VT 05602.
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