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Michael W. Fordyce

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Michael Fordyce Obituary

Published by Legacy Remembers on Jan. 24, 2011.

Michael was born on December 14, 1944 and passed away on Monday, January 24, 2011. Michael was a resident of Fort Myers, Florida.

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Recent Activity

July 28, 2025

Mark McCormick posted to the memorial.

October 7, 2022

Bev Paskiet posted to the memorial.

July 17, 2017

LINDA ENGEL posted to the memorial.

4 Entries

Mark McCormick

July 28, 2025

In 1975 I took community college classes as a high school senior, and picked Dr. Fordyce's class as a transferable social science credit. And 50 years later, I think it might have saved my life. There's a lot of crazy ideas banging around a 16 year old boy's coconut. Roads not taken ... there but for the grace of God ... etc. At that time, my life plan had more to do with motorcycles than college. He must have been 32 years old.

Personal and Social Adjustment was the course name I remember. And while a big part of my "adjusting" was simply being in a classroom with people of all ages trying to learn, Dr. Fordyce made a real difference, the social scientists' much sought before-after change.

First, he made college fun. Although on my first day of class he did not pass himself off as one the students, sitting among us watching reactions to a supposed no-show professor and joining in the criticism, I later heard that he had done that often. Long hair, dressed like us, he was wiry, energetic, and drank coffee constantly from a large thermos. (Yes, before Starbucks.) I think he told us that we all had earned a C, simply by showing up that day, and that we were free to go. I forget what was needed for a B, (maybe a class survey?) but writing five pages summarizing our life so far would earn an A. And it was off to the races from there.

Each week of the quarter, I don't think Edison was on semesters, we'd play some game or experiment to prove some aspect of what he'd eventually summarize as the "Fordyce Fourteen". Before I learned the Ten Commandments, I took notes on and learned his rules for living happily. And while I never checked, I don't think either contradicted the other. I saved those notes for at least 30 years.

I especially remember his class on trusting yourself and others enough to be yourself without any pretense. He drew a letter "A" with arms and eyes, and then described how, surrounded by "B"s and wanting to fit in, most A's will flatten their pointy head, and pretend to be rounded. But if they do, they won't be recognized by, and perhaps never meet and be accepted by other A's; their life will be a stressful uneasy pretense, and worse, the other B's will recognize your A-like features someday. His advice was to tear off the band-aid, and get to work being you, not copying anyone. I wonder how many high-schoolers might have been saved in the past 50 years by that one idea.

Another class he started by telling us that he hadn't spent the course's allotted $500 audio-visual budget and that he would give it all to one of the four teams that won the game we were about to play. I was probably the only kid naive enough to believe this, but we all played like it was for keeps. Each group would talk and decide whether to "cooperate" or "bet against" the team they were paired with. Both sides cooperating paid $10 to each side. Both betting against paid neither. But if one team trusted and the other reneged, the trust side lost $5 and the against side won $25. (I argued for taking turns between both answers since the net payoff was the same.) After maybe ten rounds, many lessons were learned. I hope his videos include that exercise.

I remember someone always talking with Dr. Fordyce after each class - he always had time. Although I was young and never talked in detail with him, he read my life story paper and briefly spoke with me. I don't remember specifics, so I assume he was supportive and affirming enough not to scar me psychologically. That would be a worthy goal for most social workers and school psychologists today - "first, do no harm". And maybe even "leave no trace".

It was a very different time right after Vietnam. In the public speaking class I took at the same time I remember one vet -magnificent hair, Nik-Nik shirt, gold chains on his hairy chest - who broke down and cried speaking about new restrictions on veterans use of education grants. That professor said it was inappropriate and that he should have practiced more. I wish I had recommended Dr. Fordyce's class but I think the vet left and never came back.

Like I said, It was long ago and far away. And not as easy-peasy as young people today characterize Boomers' time on this big blue marble. But my youth was certainly made easier, and importantly, happier - by Dr. Michael Fordyce.

Bev Paskiet

October 7, 2022

I miss you and Loved you!

LINDA ENGEL

July 17, 2017

I met Dr. Michael Fordyce in the fall of 1983 at Edison Community College. At the age of 41, I returned to college to complete my degrees in Psychology. Eight years later, Michael followed my progress from ECC to my USF Bachelor (1989) and Masters Degree in Guidance and Counseling (1991). He invited me to join him in his practice at The Marriage and Family Center in Ft. Myers, Florida for my internship in 1991. I subsequently joined his practice at the Marriage and Family Center; and, to my great amazement six months after I joined the practice, he gifted The Marriage and Family Center to me. I have always been grateful for the opportunity to learn from him in the classroom and in practice with him. He believed in me. He trusted me; and he gave me the confidence to believe in myself. At this writing in July 2017, I have just found out about his passing. I am writing my memoirs and fortunately saved the research he was doing on Happiness. I am very saddened by his death at such an early time in his life. Michael lived life wholly and fully. He was a teacher, a writer, a researcher, a practitioner and most of all a mentor. Thank you Michael for believing in me.
Linda Troiano (McCarthy) Engel, M.A.

Hilary Baggs

March 25, 2017

I had Michael as a teacher 30 years ago at Edison Community College and he truly changed my life. Because of taking his class during a hard time in my life, I kept his fundamentals in my thoughts always. I still have his book "the Psychology of Happiness" and have shown it to many others over the years. Because of it, I met my husband and have had a full, fulfilling life. Thank you, Michael.