Dewey John Forry, Jr.

1952-2017

Dewey John Forry, Jr. passed away surrounded by his family after fighting cancer with the passion he applied to everything in his life. He was 64, but would want it noted he far outlived his doctor’s original prognosis. He once said, “I know why I got cancer! It’s so I can make these people doing chemo with me smile.” His energy was infectious.

Born to Dewey Sr. and Betty Forry, Dewey was a star outfielder drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers out of Terra Linda High School. The Dodgers had no choice but to make him a relief pitcher because of his remarkable arm. He played for their organization for seven years and finished with a 1.21 ERA.

In 1978, Dewey joined his father in the family produce business. He later became President of the DJ Forry Company, and with his brother John and nephew Mike, grew the business beyond anything Dewey Sr. could have imagined. He was revered for doing business the right way. Dewey mentored many in the business like a father, and fought with them like a brother. He always had your back, and he always told you exactly what he thought.

His idea of sugarcoating was to share his beloved Milk Duds, but not too many, because then you should get your own box. Still, you’d have a hard time finding a nicer, more thoughtful person. He called his daughters every day. He drove on their field trips and coached their teams. His sports advice to them and others was, “If you look back in 10 years, can you say you gave it all you got?” He was a fierce competitor you always wanted on your team.

He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Sava; his daughters Miranda and Liz; his sister and brother-in-law Ruth Ann and Dennis; his brother and sister-in-law John and Jacquie; and his nieces and nephews and their kids who loved their Uncle Dewey. He was the glue that made us stronger.

Dewey spent the last three years on the Central Coast, watching the sunrise as he walked his dog Nellie on the beach. To him, this was heaven.

We’re celebrating Dewey’s exceptional life on May 26 at 1:00 p.m. at See Canyon Fruit Ranch, followed by a charity golf tournament in his honor on May 27. Contact mirandaforry@gmail.com for details. Donations in his name can be made to the Hearst Cancer Resource Center.