James Ralph Forcum Jr.

Forcum Jr, James "Jim" Ralph, age 75, of Cincinnati, Ohio passed away on Friday, February 4, 2022. Jim was a loving son, brother, husband, devoted father, doting grandfather, and loyal friend.

He was born on November 11, 1946 in Indianapolis, Marion Co., IN, to Ralph Forcum and Kathryn Jeanette (Deschler) Forcum. Raised in Greenfield, IN and he graduated from Greenfield High School in 1965 as class Salutatorian. During high school he worked four summers for the Indiana State Library in Indianapolis. While in Greenfield he was active in Boy Scout Troop 233 and attended the National Boy Scout Jamboree in 1964. In 1969 he graduated from Indiana University's School of Business "With Honors" and was a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, the School of Business' equivalent to Phi Beta Kappa.

On October 11, 1969 he married Miss Marilyn Kay Haase, the love of his life, in New Palestine, IN, and settled in Flint, MI to start a 13 year career in Medical Marketing. Further moves took them to Detroit, MI; Canton, MI; Hamilton, OH; and Beavercreek, OH. In 1970 he was given his employer's "Man of the Year" award.

In January 1982 Mr. Forcum accepted employment as a civilian with the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) in Dayton, OH in the profession of "Contracting" (Acquisition), first as a Contract Negotiator, then as a Procurement Analyst, and finally as a Contracting Officer. Mr. Forcum spent much of his career in flight-simulator acquisition, and was quietly proud of the fact that all the pilots who flew the F-15E aircraft in 1991's "Operation Desert Storm" had been trained on the F-15E Weapons System Trainers (WST) that he acquired for the Air Force. Over a span of 30 years, he planned, wrote and negotiated contracts valued at over $1 billion. Mr. Forcum ended his Contracting career acquiring Research and Development studies that would identify the technologies that will assist the Air Force in their defense of America in the mid-2000's. He was a member of the National Contract Management Association (NMCA) for three decades.

Mr. Forcum's career in Air Force Contracting was exemplary. Among his many awards, he was honored with the "Best Contracting Staff Member" award at WPAFB in 1994 and the best "Contract Reviewer" award at WPAFB in 1995. Mr. Forcum was an Acquisition Certified Level III Contracting Officer, and a Level III Program Manager--Level III being the highest category of professional certification. He also earned the Designated Professional Contracting Manager certification from NCMA. He was a wealth of knowledge to his friends and colleagues, mentored dozens, if not hundreds, of fledging contracting personnel in his career. After three decades of service, Mr. Forcum retired in 2010.

For two decades, Jim, sponsored a foster child in poverty stricken Ecuador, Jefferson Joel Zambrano Castro through Children's International. Jim wrote Jefferson encouraging and inspiring letters monthly. Jefferson eventually was able to pursue a career in civil engineering.

In retirement Mr. Forcum became a Historic Interpreter at both Dayton's Carillon Historical Park and the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Park while also becoming a prolific Find-A-Grave volunteer, writing over 2,000 biographies.

Jim, a man of insatiable curiosity, vast interests, and a lifelong amateur historiographer, began a passion for genealogy and family history in 1975, and became the established national expert on "Forcum Family History." Over the decades he amassed a database of greater than 162,000 names of his and his wife's ancestors. People from all across the country routinely contacted and corresponded with Mr. Forcum on matters of family history. With three ancestors in the American Revolution, he was proud of his life membership in the Sons of the American Revolution. Having had at least twenty ancestors in the Civil War, he is a member of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War and Sons of Confederate Veterans. Mr. Forcum wrote two books and innumerable papers on history and genealogy. He was a former Committeeman with Boy Scout Troop 71, and as a Reformed Calvinist, he was a member of Kirkmont United Presbyterian Church in Beavercreek, OH.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and an infant brother, Mark Rezin Forcum. Survivors include his loving wife of 52 years, Marilyn Kay (Haase) Forcum; brother, John F. and wife Christine (Reilly) Forcum of Greenfield, IN; two sons, Daniel T. and wife Nicole (Babinec) Forcum and their children, Logan and Holli and David J. and his wife Darby (Arozarena) Forcum, and their children Josie Kathryn and Benjamin George, all of Cincinnati, OH; nephew, Mark F. Forcum and his wife Kalee Ann Waltemath, with son, Lawson of Indianapolis, IN; and nieces, Darian Lindle-Notis and Laura Lindle, both of Seattle, WA; and numerous cousins. He was blessed with many dear friends, including Richard N. Moore, Stel Kirbabas, John Shock, among so many others.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made in Jim's name to the American Cancer Society, Hospice of Cincinnati or to Children International.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, February 10, 2022 from 1:00 pm until the time of service at 3:00 pm at Newcomer Funeral Home - Northwest Chapel, 7830 Hamilton Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45231. Burial will take place at Washington Park East Cemetery, 10612 Washington Street, Indianapolis, IN 46229.

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