Dr. Leigh Forsberg

1937-2021

Dr. Leigh Forsberg, beloved husband, brother, and Papa, passed away peacefully in December, 2021 at the Emerald Care Home in Walnut Creek, CA. After leaving Ethiopia by mule, plane, train and ship, expectant parents, Malcolm and Enid Forsberg, welcomed their first child, Peter Leigh, in 1937 in Milwaukee, WI. He grew up in Sudan and Ethiopia, where he attended Bingham Academy in Addis Ababa. He played rugby and hockey at Collingwood Collegiate Institute in Ontario, Canada. He completed his undergraduate studies at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA and Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL. He married Gertrude “Trudi” in 1959. He earned his medical degree at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago. In 1963 the couple moved to San Francisco where Leigh continued his medical training at San Francisco General Hospital Medical Center. He did his residency in Internal Medicine at UCSF School of Medicine and his residency in Radiology at Stanford University Medical Center. Starting in 1968, he worked as a radiologist at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Berkeley and later in private practice. He retired in 2007. He married Nancy in 1977. Leigh was an avid runner and hiker with a special fondness for Mt. Tamalpais. A passionate patron of the arts, he also enjoyed travel and scenic photography. His family fondly remembers vacations at Bodega Bay, the chocolate safe, Ethiopian ululating, ball games, ballets, the Christmas train, and the waving of the pink section of the Chronicle at Stern Grove as the Preservation Hall Jazz Band played “When the Saints Go Marching In.” His family’s hearts were ululating and marching with him as he took his final voyage beyond the Golden Gate. His ashes were scattered by the Nautilus Society in the Pacific Ocean. He was preceded in death by his brother Dr. Malcolm “Kim” Forsberg, Jr. He is survived by his wife Nancy, brother James “Jim” (Linda), sister Dorothy “Dodi”, former wife Trudi as well as his children and step children: Karen, Karl (Quinn), Anita, Dinah (Erik), Ben (Kristin), and Nicole (Josh). Grandchildren include Hailey, Claire, Brennan, Koen, Malcolm, Micah, Beatrice, and Esther Leigh.