Roger Floyd Forsythe, Sr.,  80, of Wildwood, died Wednesday, September 23, 2015, at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston.  He was born on October 14, 1934, in Beaumont, to Eunice Belle Walker Forsythe and Burney Floyd Forsythe.  Roger was a United States Navy veteran and retired from B.F. Goodrich.  Following retirement, he  owned Wicks and Sticks at Central Mall and Rogers Lawn Service at Crystal Beach.

Our family home on 30th Street in Nederland, Texas, was filled with joyful memories.  Roger loved to grill, which he did every Friday and Saturday night.   The kids played outside while Roger and Jane danced on the patio as dinner was cooking.  Jane and Roger were also frequent visitors at the Pompano Club where the kids loved to watch them to dance to Willie Nelson’s Stardust. 

Roger loved horses. He owned and operated R Bar F Quarter Horse farm, and he raised and raced quarter horses.  The family spent many happy weekends watching the horses run.   His favorite career move came late in life when he started Roger’s Lawn Service after he and Jane moved to the Crystal Beach.  He said he wished this had always been his job as he loved to create and maintain beautiful yards and be his own boss.  His own personal lawn was always the thickest and greenest on the block. 

After living at the beach for 10 years, they decided to move to Wildwood so that Roger could play golf every day, and when he wasn’t playing he was watching it on TV.  He made many dear friends here in Wildwood. 

Roger was an avid Cowboy fan.  If one of his children called during a game, they had to call back later unless they wanted to talk about the game.  If he was at your house, you either had to turn the game on or he was leaving in time to get home before it started.  His dream came true just this March when he and Jane made the trip to see Cowboy Stadium.  Other places to visit were on the agenda but they were cancelled so he could spend 2 days at Cowboy Stadium. 

Roger’s pride and joy were his children, grandchildren and precious great-grandchild Remmi.  He loved them with all his heart and delighted in visits from them.  He always said to them, “Papa loves you!”  The love of his life was his wife of 60 years, Jane, who was always at his side.  If she wasn’t, the kids would hear him say,” Where’s your momma?”

Roger was a strong Christian man who lived a life of faith. He loved his church family and if you didn’t know him when you got to church, you knew him by the time you left.  He was the unofficial greeter, always going around the church shaking hands and hugging everyone. 

Survivors include his wife, Jane Forsythe; children, Melissa Forsythe and Brenda Townsend of Fort Worth; Jennifer Blackwell and her fiance', Darren Bertrand; Brenda Bodin and her husband, Robert; and Roger Forsythe, Jr. and his wife, Amanda, all of Nederland; grandchildren, Erica Jane Blackwell, Brady Blackwell, Michaela Forsythe, Emma Forsythe, Reagan Bodin, and Slate Bodin; and great-grandson, Remmington Osborne.

He is preceded in death by his parents; and sister, Joyce Gilmore.

A gathering of Mr. Forsythe's family and friends will begin at 1:00 p.m., with his memorial service to follow at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, September 26, 2015, at Wildwood-Village Mills United Methodist Church, 5943 FM 3063, Village Mills, under the direction of Broussard's, 530 West Monroe, Kountze.

The Forsythe Family would like to extend their sincere thanks to their many friends and family who supported them during Roger’s illness.  We will be eternally grateful to all the dear friends who took Roger and Jane back and forth to M.D. Anderson, brought food, sent cards, and prayed for them these past years.  You all are truly a gift from God.