Ray W. Forquer III

1944 - 2020

Noted artist, entrepreneur and educator Ray W. Forquer III was born July 3, 1944, in Washington, to the late Lois Taylor and Ray. W. Forquer Jr. His deep creative spirit soared into the Western Pennsylvania sky, so often seen in his paintings, at age 76, Tuesday, July 28, 2020, after a noble, decade-long fight with health issues.

A graduate of Trinity High School and Clarion University of Pennsylvania, he earned a master's degree at the University of Pittsburgh prior to a career teaching art and history at Chartiers-Houston High School. He encouraged and mentored students and many local artists in their art careers. Art education flourished at studios he maintained throughout his painting career by instruction of private students, reviews of fellow artists' work and art shows at his Gallery 200 in Washington.

In 1979, he and the late George Moore founded Countryside Prints, Inc., an award winning publisher of limited edition prints and the only signed and numbered suite of the late artist Malcolm Parcel's etchings.

For more than five decades, Ray Forquer's award-winning work hailed the history and landscapes of his native Western Pennsylvania. He painted judges for courthouse collections and neighbors with the same human insight and sensitivity.

Paintings and prints are included in many corporate, institutional and private collections including Washington & Jefferson College, California University of Pennsylvania, the McGraw Hill Publishing Company, the Museum of New Mexico, the Civil War Museum and Library in Philadelphia, and Washington, Allegheny and Somerset County courthouses.

His paintings were shown at the Westmoreland Museum of American Art, Ohio's Butler Museum of American Art, the Chautauqua Art Association Gallery in New York, the Stifel Gallery at Oglebay Institute, many national painting shows at Olin Gallery at Washington & Jefferson College and at numerous regional galleries. His work illustrates history books and was used in a PBS historical series.

Ray served on the board of the Washington County Historical Society and was a member of the Art in the Garden committee. He was a member of many art associations.

His legacy is entrusted to his daughter, Susanne Forquer (James Dunn III); his loving companion, Kathleen Standiford; sisters Diane Forquer-Pagac, Linda Fox and Mary Beth Kallen; brother Michael Forquer; nieces and nephews; and many friends.

All funeral arrangements are private and under the direction of the Warco-Falvo Funeral Home, Inc., Wilson at East Katherine Avenues, Washington, S. Timothy Warco, supervisor / director, Susan Falvo Warco, director, S. Timothy Warco II, director.

The family encourages those who wish to memorialize Ray to appreciate art, respect history and be helpful to others through quiet actions or donations to a local art, historical or educational charity.

Condolences may be expressed at www.WarcoFalvoFuneralHome.com.