APPLETON – Joseph E. Forti, 92, died peacefully, Monday, December 16, 2024, at his home in Appleton, surrounded by his loving family. 

Born July 23, 1932, in East Boston, Massachusetts, he was the son of John, Sr. and Margaret Kevin Forti. 

Joseph was educated in Massachusetts, and graduated in 1951 from the Medford Vocational High School having studied cabinet-making.  Enlisting in the U.S. Navy, Joe served as an Airman First Class from 1951 to 1954.  Later he earned a degree in animal science from the Stockbridge School of Agriculture at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 1956.

In 1959, Joe married his first wife, Barbara, and they adopted three children, Kathleen, Deborah, and Paul.  Following their divorce in 1983, Joe later married Laura Hyvari Robinson in October 1988. 

Although born and raised in the city, Joe preferred a quieter way of life.  After earning his degree, he moved to Maine where he bought 200 acres of farmland in Montville.  Later he purchased an additional 200 acres which he farmed for another five years. 

After selling his farmland, Joe went to work for the State of Maine in the Parks and Rec Department.  He served as a Park Ranger, working his way up to Park Supervisor of Lake St. George Park and Camden Hills State Park.  Later he was promoted to the highest position possible, Regional Supervisor of State Parks, and was responsible for one fifth of the State of Maine.  

For over 40 years, Joe owned and operated Riverside CraftShop, a custom wood products shop.  He specialized in wooden furniture and hand carved signs. He was very crafty and artistic and enjoyed painting with watercolors, selling over 50 of his paintings.  He also carved and sold hundreds of ivory and bone pieces; he collected eagle statues, coins, and ivory and bone carvings.  He ran a booth at the Searsport Flea Market for several seasons.

Over the years he has hand built many buildings, homes, shelters, storage buildings and garages, including a log home made entirely from trees he saved from the property. 

Always resourceful, Joe spent many years loading, hauling, sawing, splitting and piling over 186 cords of firewood he obtained from the Camden Land Fill which he used as fuel to heat his home. 

He began this endeavor in 1979 and continued until 2014.  You could see him working in the woodpile with his jeans, suspenders, and T-shirt. He enjoyed helping others, fishing, traveling, cooking, and hunting. He and Laura loved their home in Appleton, their travels, family, and friends.

Joe’s legacy will live on for generations in the over 200 short stories he has written about his life, happenings on the farm, games and pastimes of his youth as well as the various jobs he held throughout his lifetime. 

He was predeceased by his wife Laura in 2006; and his brother John Forti, Jr.

Joe is survived by his children, Kathleen Forti-Gallant and her husband Raymond, of Stetson; Deborah Forti, of Swanville; Paul Forti and his wife Susan, of Canandaigua, N.Y.; his step-children Cynthia Dean and her husband Jon, of Liberty; Barbara Black and her husband, Walter, of Waite; David Robinson and his wife Susan, of Belmont; and Douglas Robinson, of Holden; his brother William Forti and his wife Carol, of Camden; and a sister-in-law Christine Forti of Medford, Massachusetts. He is also survived by many grandchildren including, Shalise, Jami, and Melissa, as well as step-grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews and a large loving extended family; as well as close friends whom he cherished.

Family and friends are invited to visit from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesday, May 27, 2025 at Burpee, Carpenter & Hutchins Funeral Home, 110 Limerock Street, Rockland.  Joe will be laid to rest privately at Ash Point Cemetery, Owls Head.  

To share a memory or condolence with the Forti family, please visit their Book of Memories at www.bchfh.com.