Alfred Forrest Harter, 82, of Bouse, Az., passed away on December 12, 2018.
He was born to parents Howard Edmond Harter and Elza Naomi Henry Harter, on November 4, 1936, in Snoqualmie Falls, WA.
Forrest graduated from Fort Bragg High School, in Fort Bragg, CA, in 1954. He entered the US Army in 1959 and served in the Army Security Agency. Forrest began work for the California Department of Forestry in 1961 as an equipment operator and eventually become a Crew Foreman. As Crew Foreman, he ran a firefighting crew from Eel River Conservation Camp (Redway, Ca) during his last 5 years. After retirement from CDF in 1981, Forrest went on to study Industrial Arts at Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA and graduated with Masters of Arts.
Forrest enjoyed woodworking, metalworking, tinkering and generally making stuff work. In his younger years, Forrest served as a Cub Scout leader and Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 56, in Redway, CA, in the 1970s. Forrest could often be found camping, under a vehicle hood, fixing something at a friend’s home or after retirement, at Redwood Gun Club showing up the youngsters with his WW2 rifles. He also had a passion genealogy researching his family back to the 13th century.
Forrest and Georgeann “Jan” Mae Decker were married on August 7, 1966, in Reno, NV. Together they raised children: Aaron, Jann “Sissy” Naomi, and Howard Hall.
Forrest is survived by sons Aaron and Howard Hall (Dianna), grandchildren Larissa Harter and Elizabeth, Hunter and Colton Harter, sister Naomi Harter Demayo and lifelong friend Richard “Rick” Oney.
Forrest was preceded in death by his parents Howard Edmond & Elza, wife Jan, daughter Sissy, and sisters Lael Harter Weinand and Sharon Harter Galliani.
The family has entrusted Fry Chapel Mortuary of Blythe, CA with the arrangements. A graveside service is scheduled for December 22, 2018, at 2 p.m. at Oak Hill Cemetery in Red Bluff, CA.