Robert Victor Forinash was born February 24, 1925, in Bolair, West Virginia. He came as a two year old with his mother, Pearl Forinash, to Baca County, Colorado in 1927, joining two uncles, Thornt and Curt Villers who had come from West Virginia to Baca County some time earlier.
Bob grew up in Baca County during the Great Depression, going through difficult times and struggling to survive. As a result, he did not complete grade school. He worked quite a lot in growing and harvesting broomcorn.
Bob was drafted into the army in November 1943 and was discharged in April 1946. He received training as a special equipment operator and was a graduate of the Student Cook School. For his service, he received the American Theater Service Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and (though it may surprise some who knew him well), the Good Conduct Medal.
In 1948 Bob was married to Dorothy Mahan of Seneca, Missouri. After they were married in Seneca, they made their home in Baca County where they lived without running water and electricity for at least a year. Bob was a hard worker and in the years that followed, they were able to purchase land to farm and to raise a family. They raised four children, Delbert Victor, Emma Jane, Allen Douglas and Timothy Wayne.
Bob loved to exercise his cooking skills by "treating" the family to such delicacies as scrambled eggs and brains. He also liked to fry up Rocky Mountain Oysters and feed them to unsuspecting visitors as "fried chicken nuggets" or some such label and found it great fun to then let them in on their true identity.
Bob and Dorothy continued to farm until 1988 when they moved to a home in Walsh where they resided until June 2013 at which time they moved to the Walsh Healthcare Center.
Bob loved to tease, aggravate, laugh and tell stories, often with many colorful details added for effect. He enjoyed fishing, attending auctions, tinkering in his garage, gardening, drinking coffee with buddies and teasing his dogs.
Bob passed away October 3rd, at the Stanton County Hospital in Johnson, Kansas, after suffering a fall the previous Saturday. He was preceded in death by two sons: Tim in September 2000, and Allen in March 2010, and six siblings: Roy Poyner, Kathryn Guntle, Rose Lee Jesser, George Poyner, Ronald Dean Poyner and Georgia Poyner. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy, his son Delbert and daughter Janie, numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren and great, great grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother Ray Poyner and sisters, Violet Stevens, Daisy Hebberd, Betty Jean Bishop and Joyce Harris, as well as many nieces and nephews.
He will be greatly missed by family and friends.