Paul Forage, 58, of Vero Beach, passed away suddenly on his 58th birthday, Sept. 8, 2015.
He is survived by his wife Darlene; his parents Karl and Edna Forage of Toronto, Canada; sister Sarah Lough; and niece Vivian Lough. He is also survived by his beloved dog, Rex and his sister, Sandy.
He is pre-deceased by his infant brother David.
Forage had a love for not only us bipeds, but a myriad of quadrupeds. He will be remembered by his family, friends, colleagues, and students. He was a lifelong learner. He had a passion for his work ethic and his professionalism. If the correct method was not employed, there was no point in doing it. All those close to Forage and his students often had the opportunity to experience his sharp mind and sarcastic wit.
At the University of Toronto, Forage received a B.A. with Distinction in Chinese Studies in 1982, and an M.A. in East Asian Studies in 1985. He went on to earn a Ph.D. in Chinese History and Language in 1991, his Dissertation topic was “Science, Technology, and War in Song China.”
Forage was a proud Canadian, born in Toronto, spent time in China as part of his studies before moving to the United States to live in Michigan and later Florida. From 1991 to 1997 he was an Associate professor at the University of Michigan. During his time in Michigan he had the opportunity to join the Canadian Army Reserve Forces as an Officer with the Essex and Kent Scottish Regiment.
After leaving Michigan he was an Associate Professor at Florida Atlantic University from 1997 to 2003. He joined Indian River State College in 2006, where he worked as an Associate Professor, emergency management department and the Director of the Emergency Management Program.
Forage’s passion was experiential humanitarian and peace building education, through a program called Atlantic Hope that he established and was first held in 2000. Since then, it is estimated that more than 500 college students have benefited from the experience which is designed to teach students from a variety of backgrounds about emergency management and peace building.
The program and Forage’s work had a seminal impact on students, some of whom have gone on to international careers. As one former participant commented: he “had a tremendous impact on my life. Paul’s passion for helping others, and equally important, his willingness to push the limits of traditional training opened my eyes to so many opportunities and challenged me to pursue excellence in my humanitarian work.” We will honour his memory by pursuing the mission of alleviating human suffering and promoting peace around the world – be that through teaching, working in development, volunteering, or whatever other vocation we might pursue.
A celebration of his life will be held on Sept. 17, at The Plaza, 884 17th Street, Vero Beach. Visitation will be from 5 to 6 p.m., with a Service from 6 to 7 p.m. Paul’s ashes will be later interred with his pre-deceased brother at Springcreek Cemetery in Toronto, Canada.
In lieu of flowers, Paul requested donations be made to the International Red Cross; www.icrc.org/donation.
