In remembrance of Winter Park Construction's Founder Tracy Forrest - his brother Jeff Forrest, President of Winter Park Construction - reflects on Tracy's life and reaches out in support of the Tracy Forrest Scholarship Endowment (TFSE).
The following is an exert of a letter from Jeff:
August 10th would have been my brother’s 71st birthday had brain cancer not taken his life last October. Although we never celebrated birthdays in the traditional way most people did, as little brothers do, it was my job to remind him that he was always going to be older than me, and I would always make sure he knew he was not getting any better looking.
The one thing that is inevitable for all of us is that death will come, and there is nothing we can do to avoid it. But no matter when it happens, it is always too soon, and, in Tracy’s case, way too sudden.
I read somewhere that a person is not dead while their name is still spoken and that they are only truly gone when they disappear from the memories of those who loved them. In the case of Tracy, it is my hope that his name will continue to be spoken and his memory will live on for many many years to come.
One of the ways that he will live on is through the Tracy Forrest Scholarship Endowment (TFSE). This charitable organization was formed shortly after his death in 2020 by his good friends Ed Turley, Cyrus Sigari and Jon Callaghan. I was invited by Ed to be a part of the organization and lend my voice to the cause in an effort to encourage those who knew Tracy to assist in carrying on something that was near and dear to him. Tracy’s love and passion for aviation was evident in so many of his endeavors. He truly loved being in the sky and wanted to share his passion with not only his friends and family, but with young men and women who wanted to make the adventure of flying their career. This aspiration is the essence for the creation of the TFSE.
This charitable organization was formed shortly after his death in 2020 by his good friends Ed Turley, Cyrus Sigari and Jon Callaghan. I was invited by Ed to be a part of the organization and lend my voice to the cause in an effort to encourage those who knew Tracy to assist in carrying on something that was near and dear to him. Tracy’s love and passion for aviation was evident in so many of his endeavors. He truly loved being in the sky and wanted to share his passion with not only his friends and family, but with young men and women who wanted to make the adventure of flying their career. This aspiration is the essence for the creation of the TFSE.
The Tracy Forrest Scholarship Endowment’s purpose is to help qualified students pursue their dreams of a career in aviation and space. By providing financial support, career mentorship, and long-term community involvement, we believe the TFSE will have a meaningful impact on the lives and careers of people in the aviation/aerospace industry. This will strengthen the aviation industry and keep it alive and present in the minds of today’s most promising students. A healthy pipeline of talented college graduates entering aviation is essential to keep the industry on the cutting edge of technology and competitive advantage. The organization will further the vision Tracy had to bring the best and brightest talent to careers in aviation and space.
It is with this in mind that I would like to invite you to visit the TFSE website and discover how together we can make a difference to the lives of students that need financial assistance accomplishing their dream. As with any charitable organization, the more you can give the better, so please consider making TFSE one of your primary contributions. WPC, the company Tracy founded and that I now own along with my partner Kevin Corrado, have committed to contribute $10,000 per year for a minimum of 10 years equating to $100,000. It would be my hope that you would consider making the same impact should you be capable of doing so. However, there are many ways to give, so please take a moment to see those options on our website.
On behalf of Ed, Cyrus, Jon and myself, we thank you for keeping Tracy alive in the hearts of everyone he touched during his time on earth and in the sky.
Sincerely,
Jeff Forrest