Larry Wayne Forney, 93, of Liberty, Texas, passed away on Saturday, May 29, 2021, at Magnolia Place Healthcare in Liberty. Larry was born in Mason City on June 30, 1927, to parents Dr. Lester Wayne Forney and Della Schultz Forney.
In the 1930s, Larry moved with his family to Crete, where his father, Dr. Lester Forney, continued his career-long medical practice serving the Crete community. Following graduation from Crete High School in 1944, Larry enlisted in the armed forces at age 17 and served overseas with the 7th Army forces in Germany. He was honorably discharged from the Army in 1947 after attaining the rank of sergeant. Upon separation from the military, Larry went on to study engineering at the Colorado School of Mines and the University of Tulsa, earning the Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering degree at Tulsa in 1951. Larry was for 62 years licensed as a Petroleum Engineer (#16817) by the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors and kept his license active until June of 2020.
Larry began his career in petroleum engineering with the Houston Oil Company in Silsbee, Texas, where he met his future wife, Nan Daniel, whom he married Dec. 20, 1952. Following periods of employment with Dowell Oilfield Services and Portable Well Testing companies in Houston, Larry and Nan moved their young family from Houston to Liberty in the fall of 1960, where he began a long career with the Bertman Companies and later with the Templeton Energy Corporation in Houston prior to retirement.
Together, Larry and Nan raised four children in Liberty. A member of the First United Methodist Church, Larry was also active in community service organizations such as the Jaycees, Lions Club and Masonic Lodge. Larry was a member of the Liberty Lions Club for 57 years, served as president from 1975-1976, and was a recipient of the Lion’s Melvin Jones Fellowship Award. Over the decades, Larry could regularly be seen assisting with the numerous charitable endeavors of these organizations; examples being polio vaccination drives for children, work with the Lions Eye Bank, Houston-area efforts in support of the annual Jerry Lewis telethon for muscular dystrophy research and projects involving the Texas Lions Camp for children with physical disabilities and cancer. A member of the Masonic Lodge for 72 years, Larry was a Master Mason and served as treasurer of Lodge 48 in Liberty for 17 years. Larry enjoyed playing classical and popular music on the piano and had a love of photography which earned him several ribbons at local contests. He also occasionally dabbled in wood working, building and refinishing furniture for his family. He loved his associations with his friends and family and enjoyed helping others.
Larry was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Lewis Forney of Santa Rosa, California. He leaves behind to cherish his memory his wife of 68 years, Nan Daniel Forney; son, David Forney and wife Charis of Chatsworth, California; daughter, Luanne Bozeman and husband Steve of Magnolia, Texas; son, Daniel Forney and wife Leah of Conroe, Texas; son, John Forney of La Porte, Texas; grandchildren, Kyle Smith and wife Christine of Fort Worth, Texas; Corbin Smith of The Woodlands, Texas; Carissa Khachikian and husband Adrin of Woodland Hills, California; Dr. Ryan Forney and wife Dr. Kimberly Forney of Santa Barbara, California; Grace Forney and Emma Forney of Conroe, Texas; great-grandchildren, Marigold Forney, Beau Forney; Jack Khachikian; Eleanor Khachikian; Blake Smith; Elliot Smith; sister-in-law, Diana Forney; nephews, Christopher and Jonathan Forney; and numerous other loving family members and friends.
A funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 12, at First United Methodist Church, 539 Main St., Liberty, Texas 77575. Memorial contributions are suggested to Texas Lion’s Camp P. O. Box 290247 Kerrville, Texas 78029-0247, Masonic Home for Children, 1240 Keller Pkwy Suite 200, Keller, Texas 76248 or to a charity of the donor's choice. Condolences may be left for the family at www.allisonfuneralservices.com.
