Marian Forsythe Obituary

Marian Eleanor Forsythe of Medford, Ore. passed peacefully Monday, July 28, 2014. She was born August 1, 1930 in Erskine, Minn. to George and Adeline Millard Forsythe. In 1936 her mother and step-father, Sherman Cochran, moved the family to rural Bemidji, Minn. where they built the Shermadel Summer Resort on Big Turtle Lake.

She attended a one room country school from second grade to the seventh and always said it was one of the best experiences of her education. She graduated from the eighth grade from Puposky School, a two room school in Puposky, Minn. She attended Bemidji High School and after graduation she attended Bemidji State Teachers College, now Bemidji State University. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree with majors in English and Physical Education and a minor in Education. Her first teaching position was girls physical education and seventh grade English at Wadena High School, Wadena, Minn

She moved to Medford, Ore. in 1955 and took a position teaching Health and Physical Education at Medford Senior High School (now North). After two years at Medford, one year at Klamath Union High School, Klamath Falls, Ore., and two years at Central Valley High School in Redding, Calif., she completed a Master's Degree in education at Southern Oregon College and joined the faculty at Southern Oregon College as a part-time Physical Education Instructor and Assistant Dormitory Director. After one year she became a full-time Physical Educator. She was instrumental in developing women's athletics at S.O.C. She was the third president of the Northwest College Women's Sports Association, one of the first regional governing bodies for women's sports. She started teams in volleyball, track and field, and bowling. She became the equivalent of Women's Athletic Director before there was such a thing.

She received her Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Health Education from the University of Oregon and moved out of most coaching and teaching physical education into health education. She chaired the Health Education Department for 20 years. She retired with the title of Professor in 1992 after 32 years at SOC, SOSC, and just before it became SOU.

She was an Honorary Life Member of the Oregon Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. She served as President of the Oregon Alliance and as a board member of the Northwest District. She was also a past president of the Soroptomist International of Ashland. Her hobbies included travel, music, and reading.

She was preceded in death by her father, mother, step-father, and brother. She is survived by her niece, Katherine Forsythe of Kansas City, Kans.; and five nephews, Michael Forsythe of Shawnee, Kans., David Forsythe, of Kansas City, Kans., Steven Forsythe of Broken Arrow, Okla., Jamie Forsythe of Fort Lauderdale, Flo., and Patrick Forsythe of Kansas City, Kans.

Memorial donations may be made to the Cancer Awareness Project, 2308 Hillside Dr., Central Point, OR 97502, or the Committed Alliance to Strays (C.A.T.S.), 104 n. Ross Lane, Medford, OR 97501