Hebron, Johnstown mourn Forshey death
“He was the kind of guy who could reach out to others on any issue, any situation.. Very fair and open-minded. Very receptive to new ideas and new procedures. A good leader.”
HEBRON – They are mourning the death of Dr. Tony Forshey in Hebron, Johnstown and the Ohio Department of Agriculture, to name just a few of the places he made a difference.
Forshey was a founding member and board chairman of the Refugeecanyon Joint Fire District, a member and trustee of Johnstown Baptist Church and state veterinarian and chief of animal health at the ODA for 15 years. His obituary lists more than two dozen local, state and national affiliations. Forshey, 69, of Hebron, died Friday at Ohio State University Hospital East.
The family will receive friends 1-7 p.m. Friday at Johnstown Baptist Church, 450 South Main St. Johnstown. A private celebration will be broadcast 10 a.m. Saturday on the Johnstown Baptist Church Facebook page via Facebook Live, with Pastor Larry Griffin officiating.
Refugee-canyon Joint Fire District Fire Chief Clifford Mason said Forshey expressed interest in being a board member of the fire district when it formed in 2019. He was elected and appointed by representatives of Hebron and Union Township.
“He was the kind of guy who could reach out to others on any issue, any situation,” Mason said. “Very fair and open-minded. Very receptive to new ideas and new procedures. A good leader.
“He brought the ability to lead and he did. A good man and a good representative of the fire district board. He was not a hard person to get to know. He was always about the community. It was always what's best for everyone.”
Johnstown Baptist Church Pastor Larry Griffin knew Forshey in a different setting and a different community.
Griffin recalled first meeting Forshey and his wife, Jill, when they entered his church at 11 a.m. for a 10:30 a.m. service.
“He and his wife were looking for a church and looking at a list and decided to give it a shot,” Griffin said. “He and his wife walked in the door at 11 a.m., during my sermon, and I said come on in.
“He was looking for the church across the street. They came in the wrong church and stayed. They liked it.”
That was about a dozen years ago. Not only did Forshey remain a church member the rest of his life, he served as a diaconate board member and property trustee at the church for the last decade.
“It's been a really good experience knowing him,” Griffin said. “Everybody that goes to church here knew him. A very, very intelligent man. We were impressed by him. He was always in demand to be a speaker at conferences all over the country. Just a solid, gracious man.”
Most people knew Forshey through his position at the Ohio Department of Agriculture and Ohio State University.
He practiced veterinary medicine for 27 years. From 1985-2005, he was an adjunct associate professor at the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine, mentoring veterinary medical students while maintaining his private practice.
Since 2006, he was a state veterinarian and chief of animal health with the ODA. He served in numerous leadership roles at the national level, serving on the United States Animal Health Association board and chairman of the board and executive committee of the National Institute for Animal Agriculture.
Dorothy Pelanda, director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture, released the following statement:
“It is with heavy hearts that the Ohio Department of Agriculture shares the passing of longtime state veterinarian Dr. Tony Forshey. Dr. Forshey was a leader in animal health; both well known, and well respected.
“Dr. Forshey had a passion and commitment to agriculture and animal health. It was a privilege to know Dr. Forshey. He left a lasting mark on the Ohio Department of Agriculture, our state, and our nation.”
Some may remember Forshey for investigating following the escape of wild animas in Zanesville 10 years ago. Forshey became vice chairman of the Ohio Dangerous Wild Animal Advisory Board, created following the release of 56 lions, tigers, bears, wolves and monkeys. Authorities killed 48 of the animals.
His many awards include the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award in 2021 and Ohio Agricultural Hall of Fame Inductee in 2020.
Forshey was born in 1952 in Caldwell, Ohio. He graduated from Shenandoah High School in Sarahsville, Ohio, where he later received the Outstanding Alumnus Award in 1996. He received bachelor's and doctorate degrees from Ohio State University.
Memorial contributions may be made to the family in care of Criss Wagner Hoskinson Funeral Home. kmallett@newarkadvocate.com 740-973-4539
Twitter: @kmallett1958
Clifford Mason
Refugee-canyon Joint Fire District Fire Chief