Dr. Craig Burton Forster

Dr. Craig Burton Forster 1952 ~ 2008 Craig Burton Forster, beloved husband, father and friend, died on November 28th, 2008 in a hiking accident in Zion National Park. He was a warm and wonderful research scientist, educator, mentor, collaborator, musician, outdoor enthusiast -- in short, a renaissance man.Born December 27th, 1952 in North Vancouver, British Columbia to Jean Davidson Forster and Nial Forster, he was raised on Vancouver Island where he developed immunity to wet and cold and a deep appreciation of the outdoors. He married Bonnie Jeanne Baty May 20th, 1988 in Salt Lake City and, never one to go halfway, he wholeheartedly embraced his new roles as father and US citizen, while maintaining his Canadian identity. An artistic flair flavored Craig's approach to everything - from wood-carving to cooking. He became an accomplished cimbalom and bass player in a Hungarian band, a passion shared with his wife. The themes of his career have been a concern for the world around us, interdisciplinary scholarship, and instilling a sense of individual responsibility into higher education. He received B. Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in hydrogeology at the University of British Columbia and a M. Sc degree from the University of Waterloo. His early career included work in the environmental consulting industry in Canada, Sweden and the US. His far-ranging professional interests encompassed groundwater flow in mountainous terrains, carbon dioxide sequestration, and systems modeling of the US-Mexico border and Salt Lake Valley airshed processes. He leaves a legacy of former students and colleagues who continue to work in sound water development and scientific hydrogeology integrated with public policy and societal relevance. More recently, his lifelong diversity of interests coalesced in his appointment as Director of the Office of Sustainability at the University of Utah. This work was immensely satisfying to Craig, as he was able to spend the majority of his time doing what he loved collaborating, facilitating, mentoring, and pursuing lifelong learning. Craig is survived by his wife, Bonnie Jeanne Baty; stepdaughter, Gillian Michele Baty; brother, Brian Forster and his wife Lorraine; aunts and uncles, Janet and Colin Clark, and Ian and Joyce Forster; nephews Dan, Rick, and Patrick Forster, niece Arlene Forster, and cousins Graehm Clark, Jennifer Bryden, and Karen Clark. A memorial service will be held for the University community on Thursday, December 11th, 10:30 a.m. at the Bailey Gallery in the College of Architecture and Urban Planning on the University of Utah campus. There will be a celebration of Craig's life for friends and family on Saturday, January 10th in Salt Lake City. We invite everyone who shared his life to gather, remember, and celebrate Craig. In lieu of flowers and cards, Craig's family suggests a donation to a legacy fund set up to further sustainability projects. We welcome stories and remembrances at the Craig Burton Forster Family-Memorial Facebook group page, where the legacy fund link can also be found.