Arnold "Lee" Leland Formo, III, age 71, of Monroe, VA, loving husband of Mary Alice Formo, passed away Saturday, November 26, 2022. He was surrounded by love, prayers and family time together with his wife, his siblings and all of his children and grandchildren during his final days.
Lee was born in Aberdeen, SD on October 28, 1951, son of the late Arnold Leland Formo, Jr. and the late Arla Koch Formo. His early years on the rolling hills and lake land of South Dakota inspired his love of nature and science. He and his older sister attended a one room school house in a nearby community.
The Formo family moved to Wilson, NC in 1958 with their family business, Collapsible Container Company, which manufactured collapsible wooden hogshead barrels for tobacco. Lee participated in the local swim team and Boy Scouts, where his father served as scout master. He also enjoyed chorus and being in the senior play in high school. He graduated from Fike High School in Wilson, NC and attended NC State University in Raleigh, NC. He and his wife moved to Monroe, Virginia in 1976 to enjoy rural life, start a family and a small farm, and being living in a new area which would become their lifelong community.
While Lee graduated with a degree in Environmental Design, his love of nature, science and teaching led him to earn additional degrees in education and science at Lynchburg College in Lynchburg, VA. He served as a science teacher in several local school divisions and for nineteen years at Holy Cross Regional Catholic School. Teaching summer classes for Southside Governors School at False Cape State Park during some summers allowed him to share his vast science knowledge with the younger generations and be in the midst of the natural world.
Lee also continued his love of being on stage by working with some of the local theater groups. Commerce Street Theater served as his home stage for many productions over the years and became his second family.
Left to cherish his memory in addition to his wife Mary Alice are three children, Nathan Formo and wife Aimee, Jonathan Formo, and Kirstin Wilson and husband Carrington; five siblings, Wendy Akers, Steve Formo, Ric Formo, Brian Formo and wife Erin, and Marcy Weston and husband Danny. He is also survived by six loving grandchildren.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 1:00 pm on Saturday, January 14, 2023 at Gospel Community Church – Rivermont, 1301 Rivermont Avenue, Lynchburg, VA 24504.
Memorial contributions may be made in memory of Lee Formo to Commerce Street Theater, 1022 Commerce St., Lynchburg, VA 24504, Missions Teams of Gospel Community Church, 1301 Rivermont Ave., Lynchburg, VA 24504, National Wildlife Federation at PO Box 1583, Merrifield, VA 22116-1583 or Hospice Care Centra Foundation, 1920 Atherholt Rd., Lynchburg, VA 24501.
