Bert H. Forman

Bert H. Forman Bert H. Forman, 84, died Friday, August 31, 2007. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Viva Russell Forman. A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. EDT Thursday in Parkway Baptist Church, 1410 East Indianhead Drive. Culley's MeadowWood Funeral Home is handling arrangements (850-877-8191). Memorial contributions may be made to Big Bend Hospice, 1723 Mahan Center Boulevard, Tallahassee, FL 32308. Born in Memphis, Tenn., in 1923, he grew up with three brothers and one sister during the Depression. He joined the U.S. Army at age 17, with his mother having to sign his papers. He joined before Pearl Harbor and was sent to Australia, New Guinea and the Philippines, where he served for three years. He was in the 2nd Engineer Special Brigade as a Alamo Scout, scouting the jungles of New Guinea. He was in the Biak and Buna Campaigns in New Guinea. After World War II, he returned home and graduated from the University of Mississippi with a degree in accounting. He met his wife, Viva Russell, in Jackson, Miss., and they were married in 1951. They moved to Tallahassee in 1954 with two sons, Bert Forman Jr. and Flavius Forman. Bert ran the Standard Service Station across from Leon High School, where he got to know a lot of students. In 1968 he went to work for the Department of Transportation as an auditor. He was also the president of the Adjusters Association. As a young man he helped to organize the Association of Retarded Citizens and build a school called the Candle of Hope. He is also survived by four sons, Bert Forman Jr. of Augusta, Ga., Flavius Forman of Panama City, Hal Forman of Tallahassee and John Forman (and wife Robin) of Fort Lauderdale; a grandson, Bert Forman III; six granddaughters, Amy Forman-Parks (and husband Matthew), Josie Forman, Holley Forman, Katelyn Forman, twins, Ashley and Olivia Forman, and one great-granddaughter, Maya Parks; and a nephew, Charles Wilson (and wife Jane) of Memphis, Tenn.