O. Forsythe

O. Richard Forsythe, 80, of Edgar Avenue, Chambersburg, PA, died Tuesday afternoon, March 6, 2012 at the Shippensburg Health Care Center. Born January 31, 1932 in Peters Township, Franklin County, he was a son of the late J. Albert and Alma Orris Forsythe. He was a member of the Brethren Fellowship in Chambersburg.

Richard attended the Greencastle-Antrim High School, Columbia Business College in Hagerstown, MD, and Brown Preparatory School in Philadelphia. He was employed in the cost-accounting department of Pangborn Corporation in Hagerstown and subsequently worked for Norristown State Hospital for two years. He then went on to receive in Bachelor of Science Degree in English from Shippensburg University in 1959. After receiving his Master’s Degree from Duke University in 1963, he continued post graduate work at Lehigh University, Penn State University, and Temple University.

He taught English at Susquehanna Township Senior High School, Harrisburg, PA and then at Eichelberger Senior High School in Hanover, PA. He then returned to Harrisburg where he was the Director of District English Instruction for the Central Dauphin School District. In 1964 he became a member of the English Department at Shippensburg University. After 31 years he retired in 1995 as Associate Professor of English and Director of English Education and Communication Arts, both teacher education programs. He succeeded in training more than 1,500 teachers for public schools. Additionally, he created a liaison program with the Youth Development Center at Loysville, PA where he and his student interns worked with juvenile offenders.
During his tenure at Shippensburg University he authored three textbooks as well as dozens of articles published in scholarly journals in addition to being a staff writer for American Education Publications, a subsidiary of Xerox Corporation. Additionally, he served as a Pennsylvania Department of Education evaluator for English Education and Communication Arts Programs at numerous Pennsylvania Colleges and Universities.

Upon his retirement from Shippensburg University he was employed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education under a federal grant for the Keystone Integrated Framework, which implemented integrated curriculum in various school districts in Pennsylvania. Additionally he was an adjunct professor at Wilson College in Chambersburg for six years, where he supervised interns in the Teacher Intern Program as well as undergraduate education majors. For a number of years he served in fund-raising activities for the Shippensburg University Foundation. Additionally, he was President of the Shippensburg University Chapter of APSCURF (Association of Pennsylvania State Colleges and University Retired Faculties) for a number of years.

Richard is survived by a sister, Betty Jane Negley and husband Paul of Chambersburg and two brothers, Kenneth of Marion and Vernon and wife Louise of Greencastle. He is also survived by the following nieces and nephews; Yvonne McClure of Maryland, Bonita Pieper, Dennis Forsythe, Marie Miller, LouAnn Barnhart, and Rosanna Burkholder, all of Chambersburg, Katrina Negley of Virginia, and Shannon Negley of Maine.

A Memorial Service will be held on Sunday, March 11, 2012 at 6:00 PM at The Brethren Fellowship Church, 339 Lincoln Way East, Chambersburg, PA; where Rev. Manny Diaz will officiate and Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, March 13, 2012 at 11:30 AM in the Chapel of Thomas L. Geisel Funeral Home and Cremation Center, 333 Falling Spring Rd., Chambersburg, PA; where Rev. Manny Diaz will officiate. Interment will follow at Brown’s Mill Cemetery. Friends will be received from 6:00-9:00 PM on Monday, March 12 in the funeral home and one hour prior to the service.

Memorial contributions may be made to the O. Richard Forsythe Education Fund at Shippensburg University Foundation, Shippensburg, PA 17257.