Capt. Russell E. Forester

Thank you for honoring the life of Captain Russell Edward Forester. Russell lived a life worth remembering. Some of you may not think you met Russell… you have met him because the values and actions which guided his life live on in those who he loved and set an example for. Russell lived a tremendous life. 95 ½ years! Friends and family will tell you he enjoyed life. He was active. He lived a life of adventure. He was a man who accomplished many things. I’m going to walk through some of the highlights of his life in a moment. Many of you will look up and say, “I didn’t know that.”…that’s probably because you know Russell would rather talk about things other than himself…now it is our time to talk about Russell. Russell was born in Nixon, Texas in 1911 and was the winner of a blue ribbon for the “Most Beautiful Baby” at the Gonzales County Fair. He was the 5th of 6 children born to Annie Marie and Richard Edward Forester. His family moved to the Harlandale neighborhood of San Antonio before he had the opportunity to meet Hazel who was also born in Nixon. One of the earliest photos the family has of Russell shows him in a soldier’s uniform at age seven or eight during World War I…this was probably the first uniform he wore, but it would not be the last. Russell went to school in Harlandale and was active in athletics as the captain of the track team and a football letterman. He also was active in scouting. He earned the rank of Eagle through scouting and this was one of his earliest and proudest achievements. After graduating from Harlandale High School, Russell enrolled at Texas State Teacher’s College in San Marcos. This was the start of a long affiliation with the school he thought changed it’s name too many times. Russell again was active in athletics as the captain of the track team and as a letter-winner as a 125lb starting guard on the football team. In 2005 Texas State honored him as the oldest living football letterman by asking him to flip the coin to start a game. He brought the crowd to it’s feet by wearing his lettermen’s sweater from 1934 which still fit perfectly. San Marcos was also the place where he would meet Hazel. If he were here right now he would tell you that he chased that cute red-headed freckle-faced girl for years to get her to marry him. She would say that she had to chase him. While the two of them can debate who chased who, the family is in concurrence that they are just glad the two met and eventually caught each other. Russell graduated in 1934 and began his life of service to others. He started by teaching and coaching high school in Lockhart. In 1937 he moved to Austin to attend the University of Texas. He came way from this experience with two things: a masters degree in education in ‘39 and a love for anything that had to do with the longhorns. On the night Russell passed away the UT tower was lit orange from top to bottom. We don’t know the special occasion nor does it matter…we believe the tower was lit for Russell. In 1939 Russell joined the Austin Police Department. He was given the responsibility of developing a training program for new officers. His goal was to produce a more professional force to better serve the people of Austin. He spent time at the FBI training academy in Quantico, Virginia to learn the best law enforcement techniques. He was successful in his mission. 1941 was a big year for Russell. Pearl Harbor was bombed. Russell was determined to marry the red headed freckled faced girl so he traded weekend duties with a fellow police officer and married the love of his life, Hazel. This marked the beginning of 65 years as husband and wife. Of all accomplishments in his life, marrying Hazel and building a family stood apart for Russell. This union easily produced his greatest joy. With the start of World War II Russell answered the call of duty and voluntarily entered the United States Navy… this would be the start of 29 years of service in the Navy. He fought in the Pacific and participated in 6 invasions. For his actions at the Battle of Leyte Gulf he was awarded the Bronze Star with a Combat V for valor. Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal had this to say, “Acting as air control officer under extremely difficult condition, Lt. Forester skillfully directed the landings of carrier aircraft forced down at this airstrip through lack of fuel, material casualty of loss of their carrier, thereby saving many pilots and aircraft from destruction and contributing materially to the success of our operations.” The story of the Tacloban airfield was documented in a Liberty magazine article in the January 27, 1945 Liberty Magazine…Hazel read it and was glad to know he was alive…the press was faster than the mail. During his time in the Pacific his first daughter, Suzanne, was born. She would be 18 months old when he first met her. There is no doubt he was excited to return to his family at the conclusion of hostilities. After the war Russell returned to his duties with the Police Department. He trained officers and also began competing on the Department’s pistol team. His marksmanship was incredible. The personal character traits he possessed served him well on the firing line: patience, dedication, physical and mental strength…the results of his work can be seen in the trophies and medals his family possesses. In 1948 Hazel and Russell welcomed a second daughter, Mary Jane to the family. Russell and Mary Jane immediately bonded having a language only they knew. With the addition of Mary Jane the family was complete. In 1950 Russell again answered the call of duty to serve his country in the Korean War. Russell served overseas from 1950 to 1952 before returning home to his family and police career. He would remain in the Naval Reserves. Back in Austin, Russell joined the Ben-Hur Shrine and the Masons and continued to shoot competitively. He and Hazel bought a house they would live in for 30 plus years in the Zilker neighborhood. They raised their daughters. They saw that Suzy and Janie were married to good men. They spent time at their lake place with family and friends. He caught a lot fish. Russell retired from the APD and the Navy in 1971 with the rank of Captain in both. He then embarked with Hazel to see the world. They traveled to Europe, to Asia, to Alaska, to Hawaii. In the late 70’s they sold their place on Lake Travis and invested in a mobile home. With their four grandchildren, Rusty, Betsy, Brack and Travis as part of their life they spent time at home and on the road. They covered the US on trips by themselves, with travel-group friends and with family. Russell metal-detected…sometimes having a “big-day” when he found a pocket-knife or a charm from a bracelet. He bought a motorcycle and rode it to his family’s dismay. He taught his grandchildren to shoot, and proudly displayed the trophies he won while still competing for the Ben-Hur team. He and Hazel moved in to the Continental in 2000. Russell had made the decision that Hazel did not need to cook anymore. They made friends quickly and he found himself being the ringleader to play chess or poker…ever the competitor. He followed longhorn football and other sports as closely as ever. He was a fixture at longhorn club meetings every Thursday during the season at the Erwin Center….always in an orange shirt and typically with his Bevo Bolo tie. Up until two weeks ago he made sure to walk at least a mile and a half a day. He and Hazel were elected Valentine’s day King and Queen of the Continental multiple times, including this past year. Russell LIVED life. He has been a role model and inspiration for many. His life’s work impacted many. We all are lucky to have Russell in our lives. As you go through the day do it in a manner that Russell would appreciate. Russell always greeted and left people the same way, with a firm, and we do mean firm handshake and a BIG smile. So, when you greet someone today do it with a FIRM handshake and a BIG smile for Russell.