Cloyce Byram Forrest

Cloyce B. “Jack” Forrest, 99, retired Boeing engineer, died Wednesday, October 28, 2020. Funeral service will be held at 1 p.m., Tuesday, November 3, 2020 at Downing & Lahey East Mortuary. He was preceded in death by his wife, Melba June (Clem) Forrest; parents, Lewis Arthur and Mary Ann (Byram) Forrest; son, James B. Forrest; sister, Anna Lee Jones; brother, Rex Neil Forrest. Jack was born near Violet Hill, AR on a farm where he learned to drive a Model-T at age 9. He served in Army Coastal Artillery, World War II Aleutian Campaign. After mustering out, Jack worked Venezuelan oil wells as a chemist for two years, then returned to Arkansas where he met and married his wife Melba. Boeing brought the family to Wichita in 1952. A WSU graduate, Jack was active in VFW Post 112 as Buddy Poppy Coordinator and Service Officer for many years. He volunteered over 7,000 hours at Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center and was a founding member of the Masonic Fraternity, Derby Lodge #365. Survivors include Cmdr. Ruth Forrest, USN (Ret) of Jacksonville Beach, FL; brother-in-law Lee Gene Graddy, sister-in-law Johnie Mae Graddy, nephew W. David Graddy (Alice) and their children and grandchildren of Wichita, KS; and nephew Michael L. Graddy (Christie) of Kearney, NE and their children and grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established with Wichita Children’s Home, 7271 E. 37th St. N., Wichita, KS 67208 or wch.org . Downing and Lahey Mortuary - East Chapel.