Scott Forbes

Scott Lewis Forbes 

Beloved husband, father, brother, Tio, and friend to countless people (you know who you are), Scottie made his journey from Taos on July 28, 2024.

80 years young, he is preceded in death by parents Rob and Dorothy Forbes (Carmel, CA), and brother Robert M Forbes.

He graduated with a degree in sociology from Chico, CA.

He was a corpsman in US navy right out of high school and moved to Taos in 1973, where he established Taos realty.

A lifelong athlete, tennis, golf, distance running, the bike, skiing, basketball, the “Speedballs” softball, on and on….

He taught second grade for three years and delighted in running into his former students.

Scott is survived by wife Karen, daughter Dorothy, brothers Ted and Ralph, and numerous friends. He was much loved by anyone who knew him.

Scott Lewis Forbes passed away peacefully on July 28, 2024. He was 80. Scott was born in Chicago but moved with his family to Carmel, CA when he was two. 

He graduated from Carmel High School, class of 1961, where he was active in football and basketball. He enlisted in the US Navy and after his service, enrolled at Monterey Peninsula College and then California State University, Chico, where he was a thesis shy of a Masters degree in Sociology. 

Scott was a wonderful conversationalist. He was deeply curious and interested in others and as such, his career pursuits always involved working with and getting to know people from varied and diverse backgrounds. During the height of the Civil Rights Movement, he drove buses in Berkeley. When he moved to Taos in 1973, he was a log splitter salesman. Scott then found his love for real estate but after the unfortunate death of his business partner, Scott left real estate to teach 2nd grade, where he would employ many unorthodox educational methods, such as teaching his 2nd graders how to play Blackjack. After leaving a lasting impression on many of his students, Scott eventually returned to real estate, which is the career he retired from. 

Scott was an impressive athlete and at one point in his life surfed, skied, played basketball, football, softball, ran marathons and in his later years cycled with his big brother, Rob. You could often find Scott watching sports, and he enthusiastically followed Taos Tiger Sports. Scott loved music of all genres but held a special place in his heart for Bonnie Raitt as she once pulled him aside backstage to let him know he “had a kind face.” 

Ever a champion of the underdog, Scott never considered himself above anyone else. He prided himself on humility and delighting in the most seemingly insignificant things. 

Above all else, Scott loved his family and diligently kept up with their lives. He is survived by his wife Karen; daughter Dorothy (Richard); brothers Ralph and Ted; stepsons Trenton, Burch, Christopher; former spouse, Anne; grandchildren, Ellis, Henry, and Andrew; niece Annabel (Douglas) and their children Charlie and Charlotte; his nephews Robbie and Ramsey; and many close and lifelong friends he considered family. Scott is preceded in death by his parents Dorothy and Robert Forbes, and brother Robert M Forbes. 

The family wishes to thank Holy Cross Hospital ICU staff as well as Pege for their care of Scott in his final days. 

The family will announce details to celebrate the lives of brothers Rob and Scottie at a future date.

Arrangements by Rivera Family Funeral Home. To share a memory, please visit our website at www.riverafuneralhome.com.