- Date Of Birth: March 2, 1927
- Date Of Death: July 6, 2015
- State: Connecticut
Milton Enoch Forstrom. age 88, of Fairfield passed away at The Carolton in Fairfield on July 6, 2015. He was the beloved husband of Jean Kruzshak Forstrom. Born in Bridgeport on March 2, l927, to the late Enok and Rosa Soderberg Forstrom, he attended and graduated Maplewood School and attended Bassick High School, where he played basketball and football before leaving Bassick in January 1945 at the age of l7 to join the Navy during WWII.
He started his naval training at Sampson, NY and attained the rank of Fireman Second Class and was assigned to serve on the newly christened repair ship U. S. S. Samar. The Samar , after christening, immediately headed to the south Pacific stopping at various islands to repair a number of ships that had sustained war time damage. The Samar ended up anchored off the Bund in Shanghai , China and later moved on up north to anchored off Tsingtao, China, before heading back home to the States. Milt entertained us all through the years with tales of his China adventures, including meeting a Swedish family and their son, with whom became a lifelong Swedish friend. After Tsingtao, the Samar was stationed to San Pedro, California and ultimately to Lido Beach, NY where Milt was honorably discharged on May 3l, l946. He then enrolled at The University School in Bridgeport to earn his high school diploma and renew his courtship of Jean, whom he ultimately married May 28, l949. Also in May, l949, he joined the Swedish Carpenters local l0l3 as an apprentice carpenter working for the Mutual Construction Company. Local l0l3 later became part of Local 2l0.
Milton was a carpenter union member for 66 years. He worked for James Dywer Construction Company and the Bauchner Construction before joining the Sam Grasso Construction Company of Darien, CT where he worked for 30 years. Leaving Grasso, he joined Tomlinson, Hawley, Patterson Company, where he worked until retiring in l989. Milton was extremely proud to be an American and loved being a resident of the Town of Fairfield. He was a lifelong member ofVFW post 9427, and assisted in all of the Town’s Memorial Day , Veteran’s Day and July 4th veteran activities and celebrations.
He took pride as a member of the Town of Fairfield Memorial Day Parade Committee. Milton was a fervent NASCAR fan. He raced the family 1963 VW at Lime Rock placing third in his class. He and Jean were members of the Connecticut Sports Car Club of Westport and enjoyed the many events with them. He was a member of the S. S. Norden Club and a member of the Holding Committee, The Scandinavian Club serving as president l990-91 . Though a stuborn Swede at times, he was a loving husband, father, and grandfather, great-grandfather, affectionately called Grandpa Geeze.
Survivors include his loving wife Jean, his daughter Susan Jean Michaud (Michael), of Goshen, CT, Stuart C. Forstrom (Nancy Franzago), Shanghai, China, four loved grandchildren, Maritess Eichstedt (Leon), of Winsted, CT, Emma Michaud and her fiancé Jay Carroll, Harveys Lake. PA , Jenna Forstrom, Portland, OR, and Kirk Forstrom, San Francisco, CA , five wonderful great-grandchildren, Ella Marie, Leon Jr, Michael Jules, and Levi James Eichstedt, Winsted, CT. and great grand daughter Tayla Susan Carroll, Harvey’s Lake, PA. Also surviving are many cousins, nieces and nephews within the Kruzshak and Forstrom families including several in Sweden. A special place in his heart was for his nephew Chas Sterback and his wife Ann.
Milton was predeceased by two sons, Gary Milton Forstrom in 1952 and Milton Enoch Forstrom II in 1989.
Whether you knew him as Milt, Milty, Uncle Milty, Frosty, Swede, the Geeze or Grandpa Geeze, he was one hell of a great guy!
