Forrest Wayne Bloom

1938 - 2025

JULIAN - Forrest Wayne Bloom of Julian passed away peacefully during the early morning hours of Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025, while surrounded by a loving family.

Forrest was born on Dec. 11, 1938, at the Bellefonte Hospital, and was only a few short weeks away from reaching his 87th birthday. His parents were Leroy and Anna (Lindenmuth) Bloom. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 59 years, MaryAnn Bloom, and is survived by his son, Tom Bloom; daughter, Vick Bloom; daughter-in-law, Linda Bloom; grandchildren, Crispolo, Karina, and Luke Bloom; siblings, Sandy Hayward and Francis (Barb) Bloom, and many nieces and nephews.

Much of Forrest's early childhood was spent in the beautiful, great outdoors of Martha Furnace and Julian. He loved the forest (as reflected by his name), creeks, hills, hollows, and valleys of Central Pennsylvania, and grew up around farms, fields, wildlife, and nature. Forrest intimately knew everything about each nook and cranny, side road, back road, path, and place from Port Matilda to Julian. As a life-long resident of this valley, Forrest was an expert on his little corner of the world!

Forrest was a proud "Class of 1958" alumni of the new Bald Eagle Area High School in Wingate. Since then, two additional generations of Blooms have attended and graduated from BEA.

While still in high school, Forrest enlisted in the US Army Reserves and served his country for several years as a cook at Fort Indiantown Gap and Fort Knox. He was honorably discharged from Army service.

Other jobs in Forrest's early years included setting bowling pins, pumping gas, and plowing and treating roads for the highway department. Sometimes he would be away from his family working on the roads for days on end during major winter storms. He was a strong, tough, and hard-working member of the crew who never gave up and always finished any job he started.

On Aug. 31, 1963, Forrest married the love of his life, MaryAnn Zahuranec. Preciously few couples are given the opportunity to spend almost 60 years together, and MaryAnn was truly blessed to have Forrest in her life. Together, they built a wonderful life and epitomized the classic, traditional, American nuclear family. Among other activities, the family enjoyed many exciting adventures and camping trips up and down the East Coast of the US in tents, campers, and motorhomes. Forrest even built a custom motorhome from a bread truck!

Forrest worked for Chemcut Corporation in State College for more than 30 years. He helped manufacture Printed Circuit Boards and became an expert in PVC plastics and high-pressure plastic plumbing. He was highly respected by his many friends and coworkers.

Forrest had the wisdom and foresight to invest heavily in the stock market, back when most employees relied solely on their pensions. As a result, he was able to comfortably retire early at age 59 ½ in 1997. When a friend offered him a "part-time, post-retirement" position driving a transport van for Mount Nittany Medical Center, he gladly accepted the job. Forrest became part of the Hospital's security department and worked for another 10 years transporting chemotherapy and other patients from all over the area.

It was not uncommon for Forrest to drive 300 miles in a day! He loved this job because they actually paid him to talk with people and make new friends.

Although Forrest was not a traditional churchgoer, he was the most kind, Christian, caring, and loving man you ever met. He was always helping others, generous to strangers, and serving people. He was a good and honorable man.

Over the decades, Forrest's hobbies and interests were wide and varied. These interests included Korean Taekwondo Karate, Boy Scouts (as an Assistant Scoutmaster), amateur photography (35mm), canoeing, a bit of hunting, fishing, target shooting, reloading ammunition, camping, hiking, repairing vehicles, watching every Western show and movie known to man, studying the American Civil War, carpentry, cabin-building (with his lifelong friend, Marion Harpster), cutting wood, lawn-mowing, snow-plowing, and even riding "dirt bike" motorcycles for a brief time. More recently, he enjoyed playing Poker at the Senior Citizen's Center at the Nittany Mall.

Forrest was a modern-age "Renaissance Man" - not in science, art, or literature, but instead in real-world practical skills. He considered himself a "jack of all trades, master of none." Forrest's many skills included engine repair (both small engines and automobiles), carpentry, electrical wiring, plumbing, roofing, welding, soldering, and gunsmithing. He even finished the "unfinished" upstairs and basement sections of his son's house single-handedly.

Forrest could repair broken appliances, fix a well pump, and troubleshoot a check engine light on a car. He never stopped learning and loved using his smartphone and computer to learn even more new things every day. Unlike many people of his generation, Forrest loved Facebook messaging and video calls, and he used these tools daily. His mind was like a steel trap – he remembered everything after only seeing or doing it once. Forrest was a gifted repairman, handyman, and problem-solver who specialized in "MacGyvering" (solving challenging problems by improvising creative solutions with whatever materials were on-hand). He even took evening/adult Vocational/Technical Classes on things he felt that he needed to know more about.

Forrest was particularly proud of his three grandchildren, Crispolo (an IT Specialist and church Music Minister), Karina (a USMC Band Veteran currently studying music in Norway), and Luke (a USMC Vehicle Operator and Auto Tech at Stocker's Chevrolet).

His grandchildren are very much like him, but in different ways. He lives on through his adult children and grandchildren and loved spending time and sharing his interests and hobbies with them over the years.

Forrest had a uniquely deep bond and very special relationship with his daughter-in-law Linda from the Philippines. The first day they met in 1989, he said "Just call me Dad" - and that's exactly what she did for the next 36 years. Forrest was like a second father to Linda. All she had to say is "Dad - can you help me with…." and he was always there for her.

Additionally, he loved his son's family's dog, Dino, who knew that he would bring snacks every time he visited.

After becoming a widower three years ago, Forrest was so very blessed to find a kindred soul, Carmie Seder, from Portage. She brought him tremendous joy and happiness. They became close companions and shared many wonderful experiences and adventures together, including bus trips, baseball games, casinos, a cruise, and exploring Portage and the surrounding area. They were inseparable and spent many wonderful weekends enjoying each other's company. She made him smile. Carmie's family became his family, and his family became her family. We are forever grateful to Carmie for coming into his life and for her gifts of love and friendship.

Forrest was the best possible husband, father, grandfather, friend, and man. He will be very sorely missed by all, but his legacy will live on forever.

Services will be held on Monday, Dec. 1, 2025 at Good Shepherd Catholic Church (867 Gray's Woods Blvd., Port Matilda, PA 16870) with a viewing from 3-4 p.m. and a funeral mass from 4-5 p.m. Burial will be private at the convenience of the family.

Arrangements are under the direction of Wetzler Funeral Service, Inc. Bellefonte.

Online condolences may be made to the family at wetzlerfuneralhome.com.