Donald J. Forrester

Donald Jason Forrester was born January 31, 1937, in Attleboro, Massachusetts. He was the second child, after his brother Jim, of James Ronald and Adelaide Emily (Jones) Forrester. The family grew up together in Mansfield, Massachusetts. Don always loved animals and the outdoors. He received his B.S. and M.S. in wildlife management and a Ph.D. in zoology from the University of California at Davis, and he eventually became a professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida. He came to UF in 1969 and resided in Gainesville for the rest of his life, where he raised his family and retired as a professor emeritus. A big part of his heart, though, always belonged to the Mountain West and the State of Montana, which is where he received his M.S. (at the University of Montana in Missoula) and where he met his wife Gabriele. When Don first met Gabe in Missoula, he was a scientific atheist. Because of this, Gabe initially rebuffed his request to go on a date. This affront prompted Don to read the Bible in an effort to prove to Gabe that her faith was groundless. But the effect was the opposite: Don found the Scriptures so compelling that he became a Christian, after which he and Gabe began dating and got married. Don spent the rest of his life actively living his faith, spearheading mission trips to Haiti through Creekside Community Church in Gainesville and working at Gainesville Community Ministries to deliver food, necessities and faith-filled encouragement to the poor. Don and Gabe had three children: Nathan, Rebecca, and Mark, whom they raised in the Christian faith and in whom they inculcated a love of the same Scripture that had changed their lives. Don and Gabe were also exemplary in the care they provided for Mark, who was born with severe special needs and who required constant care for the rest of his life. Don continued to take care of Mark, even after Gabe's passing in 2017, until shortly before Mark's passing in 2021. Right up until the end of his life at the age of 86, Don remained active in ministries at Creekside, attending two different One Another groups and a prayer meeting each week. He was and is loved by all who were blessed to know him. A memorial service will be held at 10:00 AM on Saturday, April 15, 2023, at Creekside Community Church (2640 NW 39 th Ave., Gainesville, FL 32605). For those unable to make it in person, the memorial service can be viewed live here: https://youtube.com/live/ihaP04g-q5k?feature=share. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the "Haiti Fund In Memory of Don Forrester," which is a pull-down option in the "Fund" window at this link: https://creekside.com/give

Donald J. Forrester

April 4, 2023