An accomplished scientist, avid hunter and devoted family man who was perpetually present for his loved ones, Curtis Jack Forsythe passed away on November 25, 2023 at the age of 87. While known for his many patents and publications in his professional life, his biggest legacy will be his continuous support and participation in the lives of his children and grandchildren.
Born on April 26, 1936, in Oklahoma City, Okla., to Herschel Curtis Forsythe and Margaret May (Petty) Forsythe, Curtis lived in Baltimore, Md., and New Orleans, La., as a young boy before making a final move to Kansas City, Mo., in 1946.
His childhood was marked by the devotion of his mother, a college-educated woman in an age when that was still unusual. With patience and keen intellect she shared her knowledge of astronomy and love of the stars with Curtis and his brother Donald (Don), also reading to them and teaching from the “Book of Knowledge” encyclopedia series, which remains in his possession.
Curtis never forgot December 7, 1941. After returning home from church, his mom told them that the U.S. had been attacked in Pearl Harbor and went on to answer all his questions. She explained the concept of war in terms a five-year-old could understand.
In high school, Curtis played the guitar and the trombone and was on the rifle team in ROTC. He earned his Associates Degree from Kansas City Junior College in Music and Chemistry, where he also played baseball. During his junior year at Grinnell College, he was on the football team. He finished his college career at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree (1960) and a Master of Science in Physical Chemistry in 1962.
He served in the National Guard from 1953 to 1959 as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) specialist in the engineering battalion. During that time, he received a marksmanship medal as well as a citation for distinguished service during the 1957 Martin City Tornado.
Curtis was technically accurate and used precision in almost every aspect of his life. In problem solving, he would research it on the web or read the manuals. When it came to the maintenance of mechanical things, it had to be performed on schedule and according to the manual.
Simple conversations with him would reveal how humble of a man he was. He was able to teach in such a way it made you feel like you were learning it with him. He never made you feel intellectually inferior if you were struggling to grasp a concept.
In his professional capacity Curtis worked on the chemistry and manufacturing of emulsifiers for 40 years with American Ingredients Company. He was awarded eight different patents. He was most proud of the one entitled, “Stearoyl lactylate salt compositions having improved physical properties and method of production,” a product and manufacturing process which impacts the food industry to this day.
When he retired after four decades, his farewell plaque, thoughtfully written by his colleagues, read: “Your rigorous experimental approach, your scientific curiosity, and your willingness to teach what you know have enriched those of us who have had the opportunity of working with you.”
As a father and grandfather, Curtis was always there. He never missed a swim meet, ball game or horse show. He coached his son John in baseball for many years, and later taught a men’s Sunday School class.
Curtis was the ultimate horse show dad. When they bought daughter Heather her first horse at the age of 12, no one expected it to turn into a family tradition. But indeed it did. From the very beginning Curtis became dutifully involved in their show preparation, from polishing their hooves to grooming their coats to cleaning Heather’s tack.
Then, when the horses were at home, he cared for them like members of the family, feeding them before having dinner, meticulously mucking their stalls and replacing their water several times per day.
Heather’s Arabian horses Sonny and Jewels got the royal treatment. He also doted on so many household pets throughout his life including dogs Bangs, Laddie, Buck, Rex, Storm and Mac; and cats Tiger, Buttons and Sugar.
Following in the family footsteps, his granddaughters have just started participating in horse shows. Despite his failing health, Curtis was determined to go to their first show at the American Royal in September of 2023. He asked Carol if there was any way he could attend. She reminded him the venue had an elevator that allowed him to take his scooter up to the balcony with a wonderful view. He was delighted.
A week after his passing, his granddaughter Madoline participated in a show and his absence was keenly felt by all.
His grandson, Jake, inherited Curtis’s love of baseball. Curtis was devoted to Jake’s baseball career, and traveled throughout Kansas and Missouri to attend games — even all the way to Colorado for a tournament. When he could no longer travel to all of them, he would listen faithfully on the GameChanger app.
His granddaughter Maya has taken on Curtis’s passion for astronomy and love of the night sky. Her interest continues to develop, and she enjoys watching meteor showers and gazing up at the cosmos.
In addition to his other hobbies, Curtis’s particular interest in World War II and the Civil War inspired many family vacations to battlefields, forts and aviation and war museums. And when it came to the Battle of Little Bighorn, he was a true student.
A scientist to the core, Curtis was never more than an arm’s reach from his scientific calculator, always solving algebraic equations on overflowing legal pads.
During Curtis’s retirement he wrote five physics papers that were published, including one of utmost importance to him, a paper entitled, “Resonance structure of matter, nature of gravitation, and the quantum energy states of the hydrogen atom.” In this paper he theorized a new model with six hypotheses and mathematical calculations to explain it. This paper went through multiple peer reviews and took years to get published.
Curtis was also an avid hunter who spent many hours in the woods teaching his son John how to kill game with one shot, properly wield weapons and enjoy time spent together in nature. He was also an amateur poet, a Kansas City Chiefs and Royals fan and a fierce competitor in everything he did. Capable, hard-working and opinionated, he was a man of his generation.
Curtis is survived by his wife of 48 years, Carol; son John (Natasha); daughter Heather (Jacob); and grandchildren Carissa Forsythe, Maya Forsythe, Jacob Cutshall Jr., Madoline Cutshall, Matilda Cutshall and Lucille Cutshall.
Curtis’ presence is deeply missed and his absence keenly felt by all those who loved him. He has gone to be with his lord and savior, and in the words of one of his poems: “Saved by grace, bought with blood freely given/some glad day we will meet face to face/Jesus Christ is my lord and my savior.” His family will always remember his love and dedication to them.
A family celebration of Curtis’s life will be held Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023, at Union Station in Kansas City, Mo., where many happy memories were made.
Obituary submitted by the family.
Arrangements: Royer Funeral Home, Oak Grove, MO 816-690-4441