Forest F. Piper Jr.

Forest F. Piper Jr. Augusta Forest F. Piper Jr., 83, of Augusta, passed away peacefully on January 3, 2011 at Park Place Assisted Living Center. Forest was the youngest son of the late Forest Sr. and Alice (Frost) Piper of Augusta, born on April 26, 1927 at their home in Augusta. He was a member of the Augusta High School Class of 1945. Forest left high school in his senior to join the US Navy and served aboard the ---USS Comstock as a fireman first class. While home on boot leave he married his sweetheart, Minnie Dowling on January 10, 1946. Upon discharge in 1947 he worked for Checker Motors as windshield installer. In 1960 he enlisted in the US Army and was a heavy equipment wrecker operator (retrieval of tanks) serving two tours of duty in Viet Nam, Nha Tran and Cam Rah Bay. He was discharged in 1968 and went to work for Eaton, Yale and Towne, Valve division until the plant closed. He assisted his daughter with the Kalamazoo Academy Equestrian Program where he was grandpa to 17 kinderkids in 1980. He was a life member of the VFW Post 7956 in Augusta. Forest was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Minnie; and his siblings, Francis, Robert and Mildred. Surviving are his daughter, Theresa Ikerd of Kalamazoo; his adopted daughter, Betti (Stan) James of Cheyenne, WY; two grandsons, Christopher (Danny) Piper of Kalamazoo and Gene (Michelle) Morgan, Jr. of Detroit; three great grandsons; and several nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to: Humane Society of South Central Michigan. At the request of the family, friends may call after 4 p.m. Thursday at the Farley-Estes & Dowdle Augusta Chapel, where they will be received 4-8 p.m. Graveside services will be held 11:30 a.m. Friday, January 7, 2011 at Ft. Custer National Cemetery with Military honors. Personal messages for the family may be placed at www.farleyestesdowdle.com