James J. Forte

James J. Forte
September 14, 1951- April 10, 2021
Here I begin a story of the life of James J. Forte, known as Jim, Jimmy Jim, Taz, My Beloved. Born in Bridgeport, September 14, 1951, to the late Lenny and Angie Forte. Cig (cigar) was Lenny's nick name and Della Street given to Angie by Jim's friends. You can tell already this is going to be colorful, full of life, just as he lived it. He loved growing up in Trumbull, climbing trees, pulling pranks and hanging out with his friends at the Ravine. At 18 he traveled cross country with his friends. He thought about sailing around the world until he realized it was a pipe dream. He graduated at UCONN where he created a radio show called Aquarian Insights. He was on the cutting edge of everything. He had a great love and respect for the Earth- fighter for human rights and uplifting humanity. He spoke often of his early life with 'belly laughing' wild stories. Jim had a personality that lit up a room. He never realized what a force of joy he was for all who knew him. He'd always say 'I'll take one for the team'. His lifetime friend Ed Rasmussen at 9 years old came to his door one day and asked 'do you want to be my friend'? Ed was his 'brother by another mother'. His two beloved sisters meant so much to him. Jim the oldest, Lynne Forte the middle sister, Patty Forte the youngest. Each with their individual personalities they could create hysteria with one slight peep of laughter which became infectious. His relationship with Lynne besides the humor was about health, healing, world affairs. In the 70s he met her in Paris which is how he ended up touring Europe, one of the most special adventures of his life. He danced in the subways of Spain in his red leather shoes gathering crowds while spreading joy. His sister Patty had an unmatched wit as they enjoyed playing off each other during their phone conversations. Patty predeceased him. He missed her and now hopefully they are together. They shared a deep and close bond, he so loved her heart. A word to describe Jim was a dandy. He had the best outfits from head to toe. He had style-that's one thing he would openly admit. I loved nothing better than to find the coolest clothes for him. He began a career in market analysis becoming a CMT technical analyst. Many don't know that his 'Anatomy of a Trading Range' has been called the Holy Grail as I'm told by his colleagues. His mentor Hank Pruden saw Jim's talent and urged him to teach at Golden Gate University teaching two very different complex trading systems, Wyckoff and Elliott Wave. He's been published twice in Trader's World, once on the cover in 2007. He had personal conversations with book writers and even a well-known TV analyst. He was President of the Technical Analysis Association and would have continued if his health was stronger. This is a man who was diagnosed at 55 with a stage 4 cancer and lived for 14years, never complaining. Very few even knew. It wasn't because it was a breeze; it was because he was special. His outlook on life was extraordinary. He defied the odds. He retired from his workplace, though he never retired from life. Jim was a quick learner. He got involved with the audiophile world setting up a wonderful sound system. May I say audiophile and intense preciseness go together as one of their sites is named Audio Asylum something we laughed about. He joined a Bay Area group became a board member in the position of musicologist. He decided the engineering part no longer held his interest. He began to write about the music itself and the history of it. Music filled his body. It filled every cell. He was a part of music itself. He didn't focus on illness. After his diagnosis he decided to bring his 1974 Alfa Romeo GTV up to show standard where he won 3rd in place at Monterey Concorso Italiano. We drove past the bleachers with the announcer introducing James Forte winning 3rd in place. An unforgettable experience of exuberant accomplishment. He never had his own children though he was a great step dad to Jaime Powley Dal Porto (Joe Dal Porto) and Randy Powley. Jaime and Joe gave him what he never expected in life his two beautiful grandchildren Nicholas and Megan. Nick and Jim
were more than grandfather and grandson, they were kindred spirits. Nick's interest in music, vintage cars, Star Trek, Seinfeld, and more came from their relationship. Their closeness could be seen as they worked on projects together. When he walked down the street Nick would have his arm around Jim's shoulder. His second grandchild Megan shared Jim's joy of the world, being funny, extremely bright and 'right there for a good time'. Her drawings of him were priceless. They'd text back and forth. It was a special connection. He spoke often about his grandchildren with great pride. Anyone who knew Jim was given a lesson on how to pick produce. From his Greek mother's family owning a produce store on Stratford Avenue, he inherited this ancestral knowledge. He loved nothing better than to go to a produce store and help people pick out the tastiest fruit. He would show them how to thump a watermelon and how to find the sweetest of melons, a secret where the bees leave their mark. He loved his family and wanted to write to each person he held dear to him, but time got away. So here, I will fill in with just a few for him, his cousin Connie Ellis turned him onto music at a young age and with their secret 'The Book', Connie was El Presidente. Michael Ellis, Jim always thought should be a stand-up comic, Jody Gentile Antosh-the sweetest heart, his Aunt El, another hoot and mischief maker, Garrett Jones, Michael Sullivan, Michelle and Dave- the gift of his greatest fishing, friends at WPKN, his cousin David C, Gary Prato, Sandy C, my cousins who gathered at the Station House- Don Peluso who always gave Jim the mike to sing and dance as if Mick Jagger himself, with still so many left out. A special relationship was with my brother Bill Paul and his wife Gloria, who always encouraged Jim, checked in on him, caring deeply and rooting for him. Bill played an invaluable part introducing us to a much respected doctor. My cousin Diana Fox and her late husband Doug, the first people we visited the day of his diagnosis. My Maui friend Apurvo. He loved our late night conversations that made him smile when things were getting tough. Last to mention one of Jim's best friends who predeceased him, Bill Howden who he missed greatly. Seeing 1:11 or 11:11, Jim would say 'Bill's here' echoes his great love for his buddy. Autumn leaves in CT can't be left out of who Jim was. For me his wife Shanti Forte, aka (Jean Paul), we met in Berkeley, CA as a street artist over Christmas. We responded to an instant recognition on some unseen level. Finding out we both were born in Bpt. Hospital and our mothers both Angie, began a connection too much to mention here! Life brought us together. This eternal union something we both recognized as we went through life and our greatest challenge. Gifted, we found our partner in life- a beautiful love story that isn't over. I tell his story because he was a humble beautiful human being who deserves to be acknowledged for a 'life well lived'. He took his last breath on April 10, 2021. He left in Grace, the Grace he lived by. We hold a memory of a special person who was brave, intelligent, humble and honorably kind. His grandson said, 'He loved Life and Life loved him.' You did 'good' my love.