CARLISLE, PA — Kathleen Forrest, 78 of Carlisle, Pa., passed away Sunday, June 11, 2023, at her home after a courageous battle with cancer. Kathy was the best friend, companion, teacher, soldier, and most of all, wife that anyone could ever have.

She was born Feb. 20, 1945, in McKees Rocks, Pa., an only child to the late Peter and Stephanie (Spak) Ilnicki. “Cookie,” as she was known then, attended local schools, graduating from McKees Rocks High School in 1963, before going on to earn both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Elementary Education from Duquesne University. Kathleen enjoyed a long and rewarding career in education, teaching all over the world, from Pittsburg to Washington, D.C., to Ft. Sill, Okla. to Ft. Jackson, S.C. and all the way to Korea; and then back to Pennsylvania, where she retired from the Carlisle Area School District.

Kathleen honorably served her country in the U.S. Army Reserves for 10 years, ending in 1982 with a rank of SP5. It was during this tenure that she met and married her husband, Gerald Bickford “Bick” Forrest, and they were inseparable for the past 43 years.

She was predeceased by her parents, Peter and Stephanie Ilnicki.

She is survived by her husband, G. Bickford Forrest (a native of Harrison), stepdaughters Deborah Clark and Dianne Forrest, a grandson, and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

In the future, she will be interred together with her husband in Arlington National Cemetery.

To read the full obituary and/or sign the guestbook, visit www.HoffmanFH.com.