Joseph Bernard Forfa, 69, of West Sand Lake, N.Y., passed away on Tuesday January 14, 2025, at Albany Medical Center surrounded by his family. He was born in Great Barrington on April 9, 1955, to the late George P. and Marion H. (Vreeland) Forfa.
Joe is survived by his loving wife of 41 years, Mary J. (Dagruel) Forfa, and their two children, Michaela Forfa (John Onwuasoanya) and Aaron Forfa (Tiffany Anderson). He also leaves behind his siblings: George F. Forfa, Arlene VanDeusen (Carl), Loretta Malin, Charlotte Wilson (Brad), Helen Arnold (Daniel), Nancy Cronin (Stephen), Ann Martin (Bruce), Robert Dagruel, and Terri Dagruel (Michael). Joe (or “Uncle JoJo”) also leaves several nieces, nephews, great-nieces and -nephews, many cousins, and friends.
Along with his parents, Joe is predeceased by his paternal grandparents, Walter and Helen Kopacz Forfa; his maternal grandparents, Wilmer and Charlotte Emery Vreeland; his mother-in-law Elsie “Ginga” Gage Dagruel, and his beloved brother-in-law Michael J. Dagruel.
Joe was educated in local schools, graduating with high honors in 1973 from Monument Mountain Regional High School. A hard worker, he began his first job as a shift supervisor at Friendly’s Ice Cream in Great Barrington. His engaging, outgoing nature brought great conversations and enduring friendships to his life. He never met a stranger. In 1978, Joe joined his father as a fourth-generation Third Class Stationary Steam Engineer at Kimberly Clarke Corporation (later Schweitzer-Mauduit). They were a highly respected duo with a clear mission to keep the fire burning. Joe supported many years of high-quality paper manufacturing and power supply to the town of Lee. Once the mills closed, he used his skills as an engineer to support operations at Onyx Paper, Cooley Dickinson Hospital, and Berkshire Medical Center.
Joe will be remembered as a loving husband, father, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin, and friend. He loved his family, faith, friends, history (World War II and the Civil War in particular), polka music, storytelling, family gatherings, his pets, negotiating with car salesmen (he always got his way), great food, and sweet treats.
Joe was a member of Hope Church in Lenox. He was actively involved in his church’s ministry efforts, traveling to Ecuador in 1988 to build a church and traveling to New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina to help rebuild devastated neighborhoods.
A celebration of Joe’s life will be held at Hope Church, 259 Kemble St., Lenox, MA 01240, on May 4, 2025, at 3 p.m. Birches-Roy Funeral Home is entrusted with arrangements. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy in Joe’s memory can be made to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research in care of the funeral home. Condolences may be made through the funeral home’s website.
