Obituary of James D. Forbes

JAMES . James Davis Forbes, M.D., 78, passed away on August 8, 2011, at his home in Clewiston, Florida. He was surrounded by his wife, Janice, of 59 years and family. Born February 6, 1933, in Ocala, Florida. Dr. Forbes, "Jim", was the only child of Ima and Mary Laura Forbes. Upon graduating from Ocala High School in 1951, he matriculated at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. He and Janice married in December of the same year and spent the next 8 years in Atlanta as Jim continued his studies at Emory School of Medicine. After his training in Jacksonville, Florida, and a stint as a Flight Surgeon in the United States Air Force, Jim and Janice moved their growing family to Clewiston, Florida. Dr. Forbes spent the next 45 years caring for everyone from infants to seniors as one of the area's last rural family practice doctors. He also delivered babies and performed general surgery for 25 of those 45 years. In 1993, Dr. Forbes was chosen by the City of Clewiston as the Honoree of the Sugar Festival, and in 1999 the Florida Rural Health Association honored him with the Wendell n. Rollason Service Award. In 2007, he received the Florida Hospital Association's Lifetime Heroic Achievement Award. Jim Served the Lake Okeechobee communities as a board member of Dunklin Memorial Camp, Cross Training Ministries, The Agape Home, Hendry Regional Medical Center. Jim was an avid hunter and fisherman, and he spent much of his free time in Chokoloskee and later Stuart, Florida. He is survived by his wife, Janice, his son, Davis, his daughters, Mary Edwards and Jenny White, 8 grandchildren and 1 great granddaughter. The memorial service was held on Thursday, August 11, 2011, in the Evangel Assembly of God Church in Clewiston, Florida. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Hendry Regional Medical Center Foundation. Please contact Glenda Wilson for more information regarding donations (863)983-2735 or online at www.hendryregional.org under the foundation page. Arrangements were handled by Akin-Davis Funeral Home - Clewiston.