Gail Patrick Forrest, 95, Stratford, died peacefully on Sunday, July 8, 2018 at Three Oaks Health Services, Marshfield Wisconsin.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:30 am on Friday, July 13, 2018 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Stratford, where the visitation will be from 10:00 am on Friday until service time. Rev. Sengole Vethanayagam will officiate. Burial will take place in St. Joseph’s Cemetery in the Village of Stratford where military rites will be conducted by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6352 of Stratford. Sauter / Rembs Funeral Home is assisting the family.

Gail was born on March 17, 1923 in Stratford, to Floyd and Katherine (Maguire) Forrest. He attended MacArthur School in the Town of Eau Pleine, St. Joseph’s School in Stratford and St. Patrick’s School in Halder. He was a 1941 graduate of Stratford High School.

Gail lived in Stratford his entire life, except for 2 ½  years of military service in the US Army during WWII when he was stationed in Japan. He worked in the motor pool maintaining and repairing vehicles and became a highly skilled mechanic. He was discharged in January 1947.

Shortly after returning from Japan, Gail started Little Rose Garage, a gas and service station across from the tavern. August 3, 1967, he took a maintenance job at Land O’Lakes Cheese Factory in Spencer, WI where he worked the third shift six  days a week for 22 years until his retirement on March 17, 1989. He almost never missed a night of work, and during the day he worked a “second job” maintaining all the equipment and helping out with field work on his brother Phil’s dairy farm.

In addition to his time in Japan, Gail enjoyed travel to Ireland, Alaska, Seattle, and Boston.

Gail was generous with his time, talent, and everything he owned. He had exceptional abilities as a welder and mechanic, and after he repaired anything it was stronger and better than new. He also used his talents to design and create for his loved ones, including several park-sized swingsets which are still in use today. He loved to sing and joke around, especially with children and he was like a second father to all his nieces and nephews.

Gail is survived by his sister, Ruth (Tony – deceased) Mulé of Rockford, IL, and her children Judy Mulé and Dan (Stacey) Mulé. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Ginny Forrest, and her children, Cathy (Kelton) Wilhite of Scandinavia, Karen (Paul) Krings of Auburndale, David (Jane Crandall) Forrest of Madison, Brian (Elaine) Forrest of Stratford and Jeannie (Vince) Tichy of Stratford. He is further survived by nephews Jim (Rita) Gillette, Garry (Lisa) Gillette, and Richard (Mary) Gillette and his nieces Vicki (Mark) Lundine and Patricia (Gary) Lightfoot.

He was predeceased by his parents, and brothers, Paul, Leonard, Patsy, Ray, Phil and Lee Forrest, a sister, Mary Gillette, and nephews, Don Gillette, Bob Gillette, Michael Mulé and Robert Forrest.

The family wishes to thank the staff of Country Terrace Assisted Living and Three Oaks Health Services for their wonderful care.

Condolences may be sent online to www.rembsfh.com