John Walter Forrester (USNA 1970) passed away unexpectedly on Friday, June 13, 2025 in San Diego, California from heart issues. He was the youngest of three children. Since John's father traveled for his work, as a child, John lived for 2 years in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and one year in the Los Angeles area of California. He spent occasional summers on his Uncle Walter's dairy farm in Sherman, New York, where his Aunt Lucy taught him to shoot a pistol and milk a cow. However, he primarily lived in the suburbs of New York City until his college days. He is a graduate of Pleasantville High School, Pleasantville, New York.
Originally, he attended Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, but then received a Congressional appointment to USNA. At the Naval Academy John was known as "Yogi" and was in the 13th Company. He became a Pistol Marksman. Upon graduation he and classmate Steve Walmsley spent some time motorcycling around the United States. He then attended flight school.
At flight school John was given the nickname "Tree". He became attached to the Black Knight 154 flight squadron on the USS RANGER. John served tours of duty in Vietnam, and received a Presidential Air Medal for meritorious achievement in aerial flight from 12/9/72 to 1/15/73. After Vietnam John became an instructor at Top Gun (when it was in San Diego.)
The USS RANGER was stationed out of San Diego, California, so John moved to California. After Top Gun John retired from the Navy to become a Financial Analyst working for private clients and decided to live permanently in San Diego.
John has been retired again now for a number of years, and began sharing a Condominium with his sister, Joan Forrester Musgrave. Since both found themselves single late in life, they joined households to enjoy the California lifestyle of warm weather with year round swimming. John loved shopping online at Amazon, video games, collecting model cars, and reading mystery novels. He also enjoyed eating at the numerous local restaurants. Life was good in Paradise!.
John was preceded in death by his parents Joseph George Forrester and Marjorie Elnora Tanner Forrester, his brother Joseph George Forrester II (USNA 1966), his brother-in-law Robert Irving Musgrave, and his nephew Christian Robert Musgrave.
John will be interred at Miramar National Cemetery, San Diego, CA on August 15 at 9AM. Memorial Donations may be made to the Naval Academy Foundation (www.usna.com/give).
Updated:12 August 2025
Curator: Ed Moore