Forrest (Foh) Michael Watson

In loving memory ~

With the heaviest of hearts, we announce the passing of our adored son, brother and uncle Forrest (Foh) Michael Watson.

The youngest of three, Forrest's birth in 1991 gave the family a sense of completion. He spent an idyllic childhood in Bowser, Qualicum Beach and Parksville, B.C. and his natural talents shone in every activity he pursued. These included Oceanside Youth Football, surfing, skateboarding, bagpipe playing and even the occasional freestyle rap. Forrest was a riveting storyteller, a natural at making people feel safe and welcome and the funniest person you ever met. Even the most mundane day with Foh could turn into a hilarious adventure.

Forrest was incredibly proud to have roots going back five generations on British Columbia's South Coast and was honoured to live, work and play in and among its coastal communities and waters.

A graduate of the Western Maritime Institute, Forrest dedicated the last decade to the Canadian Coast Guard. His career started on the CCGS Tanu as a Rescue Specialist, tending navigational aids in the arctic circle aboard the CCGS Sir Wilfred Laurier and coordinating Inshore Rescue Boat (IRB) student programs. Rising to the rank of Leading Deckhand, SC DED 03, Forrest's most recent role was an instructor at the Rigid Hull Inflatable Operator Training (RHIOT) school in Bamfield.

Due to his heroism on the water, many families are together today.

Forrest is survived by his beloved parents, Lisa and Michael, his devoted sisters and closest friends, Bridgette and Madeleine, and his prized niece, Maeve. Our hearts will forever be expansive for having known him, and broken for having lost him.

Gone far too soon, Forrest's legacy lives on in the knowledge he shared, the meaningful connections he maintained and the memories he leaves. Forrest could tell time using the sun and navigate by the night sky and it is there where we will look to see him now - our true North Star.

A celebration of life will be held Saturday, May 31 at 1 p.m. at the Bowser Legion Branch 211.