Late son of former Carlsbad Mayor Bob Forrest inducted into Carlsbad Hall of Fame

The late son of former Carlsbad Mayor Bob Forrest was remembered as an inspiration to those with special needs and to the greater Carlsbad community as he was inducted into the Carlsbad Hall of Fame on Saturday.

Gary Forrest died Oct. 12, 2022. In the hall of fame, he joins his parents, Bob and Barbara Forrest, who were inducted in 2018.

Bob Forrest said his late son was born in 1963 with Down syndrome and was the driving force behind CARC Inc., formed 50 years ago to provide services for children and adults with special needs.

Related: Gary Forrest to join Carlsbad Hall of Fame exhibit

“It’s a great day for Carlsbad and a great day for the Forrest family. We started the (CARC) Farm 50 years ago today. I’m just as enthused as I ever was, and the town has been so great about making it successful,” Bob Forrest said.

He said CARC Inc. served as a role model for the rest of New Mexico in meeting the needs of special needs residents.

If it hadn’t been for Gary, CARC would never have happened, said Mark Schinnerer, chief executive officer of CARC Inc.

“We’ve had a lot of lives come (to CARC) and touched by Gary,” he added.

Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway said Gary Forrest worked at CARC Inc. and CNB Bank.

“Gary was an employer’s dream. He always wanted to work,” said Kirsten St. John of CNB Bank.

CARC’s operations have expanded over the past 36 years with the purchase of Washington Ranch, a satellite operation for residents and work operations for CARC Inc., according to the organization’s website.

More: Bob and Barbara Forrest inducted into Hall of Fame

Washington Ranch is located nearly 33 miles southwest of Carlsbad.

“The community has been very supportive, and we’ve had a lot of great people that have given and supported this farm for the past 50 years. It’s just a hard time to keep something going this long and being successful as we have been,” Bob Forrest said.

Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 or by email at MSmith@currentargus.com or @ArgusMichae on Twitter.

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This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: Gary Forrest inducted into Carlsbad Hall of Fame