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- Ruth Forsyth was born March 28, 1925 in Forest Grove, Oregon. The third of 7 children born to William Carl and Josephine Bernards Lepschat, Ruth grew up on the family farm in Verboort. She attended Visitation Grade School and graduated from Forest Grove High School in 1943.
With the World War II underway, Ruth and two friends enrolled in an after school program at a local garage to receive training as oxy-acetelyene cutting torch operators. She received certification as a "burner" and was soon employed at the Portland Shipyards helping to build Liberty Ships for the war effort.
The following fall she enrolled in the University of Portland Nursing program. Graduating in 1947, she began her career as an operating room nurse. By 1950 she began work at the Veterans Administration Hospital receiving a commission as 1st Lieutenant in the Air Force Reserve Nurse Corp. For the next 3 years she served as the Chief Nurse of the Tactical Air Command Hospital of the 403rd Troop Carrier Wing. It was during her training as a flight nurse that she graded first in her class, the first Reservist to achieve this accomplishment. By 1954 Ruth was promoted to Captain and worked at the US Air Force Dispensary as Chief Nurse. In 1958 she became the first Chief Nurse of the Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron.
In 1960 Ruth returned to the University of Portland for graduate work in education. Maintaining her position with the Air Force Reserve, now as a Major, she began work in the Portland Public School system where she taught biology and later worked in Administration. She retired from her teaching career in 1971.
In September of that year she married Col. John A Forsythe, also a career officer in the United States Air Force. They moved to McClellan Airforce base in California. She was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in 1972 and awarded her Senior Flight Nurse Wings. By 1973 Ruth had logged more than 2,300 hours as a flight nurse, many of them on medical evacuation flights out of Southeast Asia.
In 1974 she was awarded the Chief Flight Nurse Wings and participated in three POW Homecoming Missions at the end of the Vietnam War. Her final promotion was in November of 1975 when she received a commission as Colonel. She continued by serving on the Reserve Officer Promotion Board from 1976 through 1980.
In 1981, after 30 years of service, Ruth and Jack settled into their retirement home "on the crick" near Otis, Oregon. Both served as President of the Oregon Reserve Officers Association. They were both avid sports fishermen which they pursued aboard their 20' fishing boat. Local fishing trips were out of Depot Bay and other trips as far away as Vancouver Island, British Columbia. After Jack's passing in 1988 she continued to pursue her love of fishing with annual trips to visit her nephew Norman Lepschat and his wife Janell in Alaska.
Ruth also continued to enjoy her lifelong interest in travel, joining her longtime friend Margaret Mangan. Ruth was able to combine her love of travel with education by taking an around the world cruise aboard the "Semester at Sea" program. Her travels included China, India, Morocco, The Philippines, Russia, Ukraine, Tasmania, Panama Canal, Fiji, Australia, Italy and others. She was also an avid knitter, often wearing many of her own creations.
Ruth was preceded in death by her husband Col. Jack Forsythe and her sister Ethel Norgren and brothers William (Billy), Robert (Bob), Norbert (Tuck) and Walter (Babe) Lepschat.
Survivors include her sister Frances Koehnke, step children Lynn Forsythe and Nancy Unsinger, five grandchildren and dozens of nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews.
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1925 - 2012 (87 years)
