Carla Forsyth

I had moved to Portland from Texas with my daughter, Katie, who wasn’t quite one yet, to work at 92.3 KGON where I met Steve. Steve was an outgoing, friendly, gregarious co-worker who was very welcoming. We became good friends quickly and quietly began dating within a year. It was evident to everyone that he adored Katie, and he proposed to both of us while on vacation in Hawaii when she was three and a half. At age four and a half, Katie (along with my niece) were flower girls at our June wedding in 1997. 

We bought our first home together in West Linn, where Katie would soon go to kindergarten. Our son Alex was born (two weeks early) on Steve’s birthday, February 13, 1999. This was an incredible birthday gift for Steve, because he was adopted by a wonderful family as a baby, but Alex was his only ‘blood relative.’ 

Steve and I still worked together, but Entercom bought the radio stations that grew to six stations and he was promoted into management, while I was still an account executive. I began a job-share where I worked three days a week that created a better work/life balance allowing me to spend more time with the kids and volunteer in Katie’s classroom. We thrived as a busy family of four with two active children that loved going to the park, jumping on the trampoline together, making forts, etc. Katie was immersed in dance from a toddler through her senior year. Alex on the other hand, loved playing sports; starting with tee-ball, then soccer – but basketball and football became his two favorite sports. Steve was a youth coach of Alex’s teams through every sport. Steve coached with intense passion and enthusiasm for the game, while instilling his ‘can-do’ attitude into his players.

Katie was immersed in ASB (Associated Student Body) throughout her four years at West Linn High School, culminating with being V.P. her senior year. We beamed with pride as she gave a passionate speech, flawlessly to her fellow seniors, their parents and faculty on graduation night in 2011. She was very excited about attending University of Oregon in the Fall and we couldn’t be more proud! At the start of her sophomore year, the four of us drove down to Eugene with a trailer full of furniture to help her move into a new apartment. We were in a hurry to unload her belongings, because we were excited about going to the Ducks home football game on this beautiful September day.  This was a picture-perfect Fall day spent with our family that is etched in my memory. The next to last memory was when Katie came home in October when my parents came to visit from Texas, and we took them to a nearby farm that had a cute pumpkin patch. Steve was being his typical fun-loving goofy self and had us all laughing; just a simple fond memory with our family!

In November, Alex’s 8th grade youth football team clinched the big win in the last moments of the game that was played in cold, side-ways rain. Our coach took a timeout when our QB’s hand was cleated so he likely needed stitches, but the team doctor cleaned the wound and bandaged it. Steve made close eye contact with our QB instilling nothing but faith and positive affirmation in his ability to win this game. Encouraging him to visualize throwing the ball with accuracy directly to the receiver, that he knew without a doubt he was capable. Steve just had that kind of effect on those around him on a daily basis, whether you encountered him at work, on the field or talking to an old friend or new neighbor – he just exuded positivity! 

As you might imagine, the anniversary of his death has always been a difficult day for our family and close friends – so in an effort to ‘reframe the day,’ we turn it into a ‘Good Deeds Day’ in honor of Steve. By doing something nice for someone else (a selfless act) it makes one feel good, on an otherwise hard day. For the past 3 years, we’ve raised funds around the anniversary (December 11) to buy holiday gifts for the 75 students at the Community Transitional School. For their students, school is a refuge from the trauma and hardships of poverty and uncertainty – a place where they feel a sense of community and belonging. Partnering to help CTS made sense, because Steve and I had done volunteer work days at CTS a few times with our Entercom co-workers about 20 years ago, so this would be meaningful to Steve.

In lieu of donations, we also encourage that you recognize Good Deeds Day on December 11th by simply putting good karma into the world, like Steve did on a daily basis, and do something nice for others without expecting anything in return.  

Steve was such a positive light in the lives of those around him, whether you were his friend, his co-worker, or one of the boys he coached in youth basketball or football. As the executive director of the Steve Forsyth Memorial Fund, my goal is to keep that positive light going/burning bright in his honor. It truly helps me on a personal level, to focus on ‘doing good’ and having a positive impact on the youth in our community. Our goal is that these seemingly small acts pass on hope, just knowing that others care and support you – with a desire to brighten your day, your future.

I’m incredibly proud of my two children who have since both graduated from college and grown into confident, compassionate and capable adults who have very bright futures. They each persevered through losing their Dad with the unwavering love and support of friends, family and our community. It truly ‘takes a village’ as they say, because I, too, benefitted from the same love and support!