John Loren Forszt

John Loren Forszt, of Hobart, Indiana, passed away peacefully at 10:05 AM on Thursday, June 6, 2024, at Brentwood at Hobart, where he has been a resident for the last few years. John was born to Frank and Thelma (Palmateer) Forszt in East Chicago, Indiana, on February 12, 1941. His younger brother Loren predeceased him when he was in his 20s, but thankfully, John had the joy of getting to know Loren’s daughter, Jennifer (Forszt) Ruzbasan. He is survived by Jennifer and her children, his great-niece, Brittany Gulbrandsen, and great-nephew, Anthony Ruzbasan. John has 19 paternal first cousins on the Forszt side of the family who survive him. John spent most of his early years as a resident of Hammond, Indiana, working with his dad, Frank, in the family laundromat business and later, as an owner/operator of a Shell gas station in Hammond, Indiana. His work at that location began after a stint with the US Army in Vietnam where he was a medical corpsman with the 1st Cavalry Division. He was honorably discharged after 2 years of service in November 1965. After selling the gas station, John worked for the Lake County Highway Department in Crown Point, Indiana, as a heavy equipment operator and mechanic. During much of his time with the Highway Department, John lived with his cousin, Joseph, and Joe’s wife, Sharon, in an apartment at their home in Hobart, Indiana as Joe and John were also buddies. After Joe’s death in 2000, John continued to live with Sharon for a while before taking an apartment in downtown Hobart. He continued to live in Hobart after retiring from the highway department until he became a resident of Brentwood after a serious illness. Jennifer Ruzbasan and Robert Forszt were his legal guardians. In his youth, John loved to spend time at Forszt Folly, the Valparaiso retreat of the extended Forszt Family. It was there that he learned to enjoy the outdoors, fish, and spend time in the company of his cousins, uncles, and aunts. His love of fishing continued throughout his life, becoming his favorite pastime. When he was a young boy, he would go on fishing trips to Minnesota with some of his uncles and cousins. When he got older his companions on those fishing trips were his friends, John Buzanowski, Bert Cash, his cousin Joe, and his nephews, Randy and Joey. John was always trying to catch “the big one”, often using larger baits than his fishing buddies in order to hook that prize fish, and he was unusually successful at it. Those trips were the highlight of John’s year, every year, until he could no longer travel. John was a very generous person. If he had $20 in his wallet and someone asked him for it, he would give it to them. He was also generous in his friendships; he was a caring person and was always willing to help anyone who needed it. And he was a storyteller and loved to laugh. And of course, his stories made others laugh as well. John was most happy when he was on a fishing trip with his friends and relatives, and he was sharing stories with them around a campfire or in the cabin after a day on the lake. He wanted others to enjoy their time with him and they did. We will miss those stories, John, however “tall” they may have been, as he had lifetime’s worth to tell. Burns Funeral Home & Crematory entrusted with arrangements.

John Loren Forszt

February 12, 1941 - June 6, 2024