William "Bill" Edward Forhan

William "Bill" Forhan March 20, 1947 - November 21, 2021 Leavenworth, Washington William "Bill" Edward Forhan, age 74, passed away suddenly at his home in Leavenworth, WA. on Sunday, November 21, 2021. Born on March 20, 1947, in Butte, Mont. to Rudi and Alice (Mehrens) Forhan. He attended and graduated in 1965 from Butte High School where he met his wife, Carol, as a freshman. Graduated from the University of Montana, Missoula, in 1969 with a degree in Business Administration. Bill served in the Army ROTC in college, then was stationed at the Field Artillery Training Command at Fort Sill, Okla. where he earned the rank of First Lieutenant. He was then deployed to West Germany as a battery commander with the 4th Missile Battalion, 41st Artillery Regiment during the Vietnam era. After serving overseas, Bill became an Army Reserve Commissioned Officer at Fort Carson, Colo., while working as a CPA in Denver, Colo. From Colorado the family moved to Davenport, Iowa where he worked as Controller for ITT Company and Carlon Plastics. He then accepted a job as the controller for The Billings Gazette in Billings, Mont. In 1992, Bill became the controller for the Antelope Valley Press in Palmdale, Calif. In 2000, he and Carol became the owners of Prairie Media - NCW Media, Inc. which currently publishes The Leavenworth Echo, Cashmere Valley Record, Lake Chelan Mirror, Wenatchee Business Journal, Quad City Herald, The Sonnenschein auf Leavenworth, and The Lake Chelan Visitor Guides Also, previously owned and published the Okanogan Valley Gazette Tribune. Bill authored his first book, The Contract: Unveiling the Healing Power of Forgiveness, in 2021, a Christian fiction story about three families and their intertwined journeys. Bill was an active member of his community and volunteered with numerous local organizations including Leavenworth Rotary, former president; Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce, former president; Leavenworth Christmas Lighting Festival as the character St. Nicholas; Wash. State Autumn Leaf Festival Assoc., former president and former First Gentleman with Carol as the Royal Lady of The Autumn Leaves in 2016; The Wash. Newspaper Publishers Assoc., former president; St. James Episcopal Church, member and lead musician; and the Cashmere Chamber of Commerce as a current board member. Bill was a vocal and passionate conservative, he loved God and was a man of deep faith. He taught friends and family countless card games, including his favorite game, Bridge. He shared his love for camping, fishing, hunting, and golfing with his children and grandchildren. Bill will be remembered for many things, but our favorite memories include his appreciation of good coffee, red wine, the Denver Broncos, and his famous afternoon power naps. Bill is survived by his wife of 54 years, Carol (Johnson) Forhan; their sons David (Britney Nielson) Forhan of Olympia, Wash., and Michael (Amber) Forhan of Bremerton, Wash; his sister Gayle (Dale) Schendzielos of Casa Grande, Ariz., his sister Diane Forhan DuBose of Murfreesboro, Tenn., and brother Ed (Cami) Forhan of Clayton, Calif.; grandchildren Myla, Ronan, Lorelai, Aydin, and Zynnia, and many cousins, nieces and nephews. Bill was preceded in death by his father Rudi and his mother Alice. A memorial service will be held at St. James Episcopal Church 222 Cottage Ave., Cashmere, Wash., December 18, 1 p.m. A private family interment is being planned for next summer. You are invited to view Bill's online tribute at www.HeritageMemorialChapel.com to share memories or leave condolences. Memorial contributions or donations in Bill's honor are welcome at St. James Episcopal Church in Cashmere, Wash., Leavenworth Rotary or on Go-Fund Me page being set up. Special thanks to the entire NCW Media staff and the many volunteers who have done a remarkable job taking care of the newspapers in Bill's absence. Thank you to everyone at St. James Episcopal Church, Cascade Medical EMTs, the Chelan County Sheriff's Office, the Leavenworth Rotary and PEO JF Chapter. Thank you to Rev. Robert Gohl, Joel Walinski, Matt Melton, Chaplain Gary Beck, and all the friends and neighbors who have come to support Bill's beloved wife Carol. Your kindness and sympathy have helped to make an incredibly difficult time a bit more bearable, words will never be able to express our gratitude to you all.