Forest Blake Ratliff

Born on May 10, 1935, in Martin, Kentucky. Forest was the youngest of three sons of McFarland and Hazel (Turner) Ratliff. He grew up in the mountainous region of eastern Kentucky, where he developed a love for sports and family values that would shape his life.

A gifted athlete, Forest excelled in basketball and baseball, earning recognition as one of Kentucky’s top basketball players in the early 1950s. After graduating from Martin High School in 1953, he later played minor league baseball.

Forest was married twice, first to Venda Lois Hamilton and later to Judith White, and had 4 children. He worked as a barber before transitioning to sales—a career he embraced for over 50 years. After moving to Michigan in the early 1970s, Forest eventually settled in Fredericksburg, Virginia, in 1981, where he spent the remainder of his life.

Forest was known for his strength, resilience, and unwavering love for his family. He overcame significant health challenges, including major heart surgery at age 65, which gave him a renewed appreciation for life. A devoted Christian, Forest shared his faith openly and inspired those around him with his belief in Christ and the promise of eternal life.

Forest will be remembered as a loving father, a man of integrity, and a source of wisdom and strength. His legacy lives on in the lives he touched and the faith he shared.

He is preceded in death by his father and mother, and by his two brothers, Roy and James Burns Ratliff.

He is survived by his 4 children Blake, Valerie, Melanie and Brian; his step-children Bob and Dee; his son-in-law Bob and daughters-in-law May, Dora and Darlene; his 7 grandchildren: Jennifer, Carey, Stephen, Zayn, Zaydin, Zakariya and Zaina; his granddaughter Gizem; and his 4 great grandchildren: Elizabeth, Amelia, Olivia and Evren.

A visitation will be held at Mullins & Thompson Funeral Service, located at 1621 Emancipation Hwy, Fredericksburg, Virginia, 22401, on December 15, 2025, starting at 12:00 pm with a funeral service to follow at 1:00pm.

A burial will take place at Sunset Memorial Gardens, located at 3702 Loren Drive, Fredericksburg, Virginia, at 2:00pm following the service.