Dr. Michael Forney, Eastern Shore veterinarian
Dr. Michael Marvin Forney, husband, father, veterinarian, veteran, outdoorsman, world traveler and philanthropist, passed away peacefully on New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, 2014, at age 73. He died from complications related to pancreatic cancer.
Dr. Forney drew his last breath in a room looking over Urieville Lake, near Kennedyville, Md., where he lived for more than 30 years.
He would often say that he drew his essential philosophy toward life from the characters in French novelist Voltaire’s “Candide” who prescribed working with others on meaningful projects as a satisfying form of love. “Cultivate your garden,” Dr. Mike would say, and he did that right up to the end of his life, most notably as a veterinarian for 45 years in his beloved Kent County, Queen Anne’s County and surrounding Eastern Shore counties of Maryland.
That work also took him as far afield as Ecuador in South America. There - for 10 years - Dr. Forney served as a consulting veterinarian for the Bustamante family who, while serving at the highest levels of their nation’s government, also purchased a herd of Holstein cattle from Kent County. The veterinarian accompanied the herd on their flight south and remembered landing in Miami to oversee the milking of the herd before the journey resumed.
In his final weeks of life, Dr. Forney performed surgeries and cared for the animals for whom he had a special affinity, traveled to Central and South America to pursue his lifelong passion for hunting and fishing, spent time with his family, colleagues and friends, and enjoyed the wildlife that surrounded his home.
Knowing his time was limited, he gathered his family together before Christmas and used the opportunity to discuss the highlights of his life. He spoke of lessons from his father, Robert Forney, who taught him about respect, business, trusting others and the value of a kind word and a smile. Dr. Forney took particular pleasure in bringing smiles and laughter through the endless telling of jokes and stories.
He talked fondly of his 20-year marriage with Kirsten, his children, his brothers and sisters, growing up on the Chester River and being a part of his community. He also talked of his respect and admiration for his business partner at Chestertown Animal Hospital, Dr. Ralph Buckel, with whom he worked for 45 years, and all of his work associates in his veterinary practice. And he spoke of his clients: “Such a special reward I have been given to have such a group of friends as my clients. We have laughed and cried together over these many years.”
Among his joys, Dr. Forney counted his world travel to more than 60 countries. He credited his military service in the Air Force - particularly as a weather specialist stationed in Seoul, Korea - for awakening his thirst for travel. He was most grateful for the GI bill that enabled him to earn an undergraduate degree at the University of Maryland and a veterinary degree at University of Georgia. Closer to home, he counted as a joy his Big Woods Farm. “I have always loved hunting, fishing and crabbing - enjoying the things I had around me,” he said. His Bolivian family, who he adopted and supported, were also a source of joy.
“I have had many blessings,” he said.
Dr. Forney was born in Detroit, Mich. to Robert Lankford Forney and Elizabeth Marvin Forney Oct. 17, 1941. His father had moved there to teach school before returning with his family to the Eastern Shore, and Chestertown, in 1953. He graduated from Chestertown High School in 1958 and immediately joined the Air Force, heading off to Lackland Air Force Base in Texas for basic training. He returned to Chestertown after a four-year stint and then set out on his education and lifelong career. He always valued community service and through the years served as a president for the Chestertown Rotary Club and as a director for Kent and Queen Anne’s Hospital.
Dr. Forney is survived by his wife, Kirsten, and his children: a daughter, Laura Michelle Forney and her husband, Ron Sadler, of Gettysburg, Pa.; and two sons, Kyle Forney and his wife, Rhonda, of Gaithersburg, Md. and Rob Forney and his wife, Lisa, of Germantown, Md. He is also survived by a stepdaughter, Michelle Timmons, and her husband, Trey Timmons, of Worton, Md. His grandchildren include Emma Forney-Dillman of Gettysburg, Kaitlyn and Riley Forney of Gaithersburg, Athena and Nathaniel Forney of Germantown, and Ryan and Nick Timmons of Worton.
He is also survived by four brothers and sisters: Geraldine Hadaway of Rehoboth Beach, Dennis Forney and his wife, Becky, of Lewes, Mary Paterson, and her husband, Pat, of Wilmington, N.C. and Dr. Raymond Forney of Newark; and a stepsister, Meg Gulbrandsen and her husband, Leif, of Fairlee, Md.
A memorial service for Dr. Forney is being planned at a later date and will be announced.
For those who would like to make a contribution in Dr. Forney’s name, the family suggests the Humane Society of Kent County, Md., 10720 Augustine Hermann Highway, Chestertown, Md. 21620; the Kent Association of Riding Therapy (KART), P.O. Box 126, Worton, Md. 21678; and the Animal Welfare League of Queen Anne’s County, 201 Clay Drive, Queenstown, Md. 21658.
