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Richard O. Forsythe II

Mar 29, 2019

Richard O’Dell (Dick) Forsythe II, 84, of Lafayette, Indiana, passed away Saturday, March 16, 2019.

He was born to Richard O’Dell and Glen (Baker) Forsythe on May 10, 1934, in Berryville, Virginia. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Elsie Jo (Inskeep) Forsythe, of Lafayette; three of his children, Valerie Mitchener (Ted), of Anderson, Indiana, John (Susan Pacheco), of Milford, Michigan and Roger, of Lafayette; five grandchildren, Erin Brown, Scott (Angela) Mitchener, Ryan (Erin) Mitchener, Alex Baker and Adam (Jessica) Baker; four great-grandchildren; and his brother, Roger Forsythe, of Winchester, Virginia.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Rodney Forsythe, of Berryville, Virginia; and two of his children, Richard Brett Forsythe and Karen Jo Brown, both of Lafayette.

Richard resided in Jefferson County, throughout his school years. He graduated from Shepherdstown High School in 1952, where he enjoyed playing football and was very active in the music and drama departments.

After graduation, he attended Shepherd College (now Shepherd University), where he studied English and Communications and again, was very active in the music and drama departments. It was here that he met his wife, Elsie and they had leading roles in most of the musicals presented during their time there. While attending Shepherd, he also worked at the Hill Top Hotel in Harpers Ferry, which his parents owned during the early 1950s.

Richard graduated in 1956 and accepted a position with Purdue University in Lafayette, Indiana, where he served as professor of communications and administrator for 50 years. He directed many plays for Civic Theatre Lafayette, during his years at Purdue. Richard loved sports and was an avid tennis player for many years.

Always an animal lover, he provided a home for countless dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, fish and horses, during his lifetime. One of his favorite activities was horseback riding, which he continued to do into his 80s. He was a member of the BattleGround Saddle Club. An avid hunter throughout his life, Richard also belonged to the Safari Club International and went on safari in Africa several times.

Richard dearly loved his family, his grandchildren and his great-grandchildren.

Private interment will be held at a later date.

Family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to the Tippecanoe County Humane Society, 1705 S 2nd St, Lafayette, IN 47905.