Obituary of Joseph Charles Forman

Joseph Charles Forman (Charles), age 92, of Darien, beloved husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather, died peacefully on November 27, 2024 at the Fairfield County House in Stamford. Born in Oak Park, Illinois, Charlies was the son of Joseph and Marie Forman. He graduated from MIT in 1953 and received a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University in 1959. Charles worked for many years at Abbott Laboratories in Waukegan, Illinois and the family lived in Lake Bluff. They moved to Darien in 1977 when Charles became the Executive Director of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) in New York City, a position he held until his retirement from corporate life. Not one to fully retire however, Charles chose instead to open his own consulting business (FACTS), and wrote market research reports and articles about petroleum, plastics and packaging well into his 80's. He also served on numerous town committees in Darien, including the Boy Scouts, the Park and Recreation Commission, SCORE and VITA. For decades, he also interviewed potential students for MIT. Charles is survived by his beloved wife of 71 years, Ursula, whom he met in junior year Algebra class at Oak Park High School. They were each other's lifelong steadfast companions and champions. He is also survived by his three children: Steve, Diane and Mary, and son-in-law, Bob Flynn, as well as seven grandchildren who brought him great joy: Katie, Erika and Juli Flynn, Daniel and Joanna Garmon, and Sophie and Jack Forman. He was also thrilled to be a new great-grandfather to his namesake, Charlie Forman-Arko. When he became a grandfather in 1986, Charles believed he was too young to be called "Grandpa", and adopted the moniker "Grumpy", although he was always friendly and cheerful. Grumpy will be remembered for his curiosity and joy of life. He was an avid sailor, first on Lake Michigan and then on Long Island Sound, as well as a competitive game player, including decades of Mille Bornes at the annual family reunion on Cape Cod. Charles touched the lives of many and will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved him. The family would like to thank the wonderful, caring staff at the Fairfield County House who took such good care of Charles for the last year. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Fairfield County House, One Den Road, Stamford, CT 06902.