Forest Jacob Mayes

Forest Jacob Mayes, 73, passed from this life into eternal life with Jesus on Thursday, April 16, 2015 at Medical City Dallas. We were not expecting him to depart so soon or so quickly, but God had other plans, and spared him from prolonged pain and suffering.

Forest will lie in state at Bratcher Funeral Home in Denison on Monday, April 20 from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Family will be available from 3:00 to 5:00.

Memorial services will be held at Parkside Baptist Church at 1:00 PM, Tuesday, April 21, 2015 with Chet Haney and Jerry Coffman officiating.

Forest was born Tuesday, March 31, 1942 in Owensboro, Kentucky, the son of William Thomas Mayes and Margaret Ellen Willyard Mayes. He served his country in the United States Air Force, having served in Vietnam during 1966-1967 as a flight reconnaissance photography technician. After his military service, Forest landed a position at the Johnson Space Center in Houston in the lunar receiving laboratory where he worked on several Apollo missions.

After working at NASA, he worked at Texas Instruments for 29 years as an electronics technician in both Houston and Sherman, retiring in 2001. Forest found a second career doing various work for Shipley donuts, where he was highly-regarded by the company owners.

Forest was an avid model aviator, and a member of the Texoma Radio Control Modelers. He was always eager to learn new flying techniques, and to teach others new to the hobby. Forest was also well-known for pulling coins out of kids ears, and many, many other pranks and shenanigans. There was no home project that he wouldn’t tackle.

He was known for his quick wit, dry sense of humor, and love of gospel music. Forest was also an active member at Parkside Baptist Church where he loved to worship and serve God and others. Forest drove the church bus for over 30 years, literally bringing hundreds of lives to Jesus.

He is survived by wife of 47 years, Brenda of Denison; sons James Bradley Mayes & wife Lucy of Midlothian, Texas, Curtis Wayne Mayes & wife Morgan of Denison; daughter Kathryn Marie Lovell & husband John Thomas of Denison; siblings Mary Morris of Houston, Sherman Mayes of Houston, Virgil Mayes & wife Sarah of Houston, Sarah Bryski & husband Ron of Houston, and John Mayes & wife Clara of Houston; grandchildren Matthew, Zack, Deacon, Greyson, Connor, EmmaLee, Tanner and Madalyn.

He is preceded in death by his parents; brothers William “Buddy", Steven, Joe Mayes, and his granddaughter Hannah Grace Lovell.