James Forgan

James Bellamy Forgan

On November 9th, James Bellamy Forgan passed after a long and arduous fight with kidney failure. Jim was a proud San Franciscan, raised in Noe Valley where he attended St. Philip's the Apostle and Sacred Heart High School. He considered himself part of the old guard, having played short-stop with the San Francisco Seals. He worked for the city's Water Department and was the head bartender at the San Francisco Opera House for more than 20 years. Jim also played a character actor in several episodes of The Streets of San Francisco and was a frequent subject of musings in many of Herb Caen's columns. In 1993, he married Sheila Claire Lee of San Francisco. As fate would have it, Jim met Sheila years earlier on the evening of her prom and referred to her then, and many days after, as "a day at the beach".
Among so many other roles played in his lifetime, Jim was a devoted husband, a caring father and a veteran of the Korean War. He is survived by his wife Sheila, his two daughters Michele Ahern, Kristin Bouey, son-in-law Kevin Bouey and grandson, Quinn James Bouey, all of who loved him dearly. Jim wished for there to be no service or memorial in his honor, but rather donations made on his behalf to the Marin Humane Society, or to Heartland Hospice of San Rafael who cared for him during his last days. His smile and laughter will be missed by many.