Lawrence E. "Larry" Forgy Jr.
Thursday 13th of January 2022

Lawrence E.
(Larry) Forgy, Jr. of Lexington, Kentucky, passed away on January 13, 2022 at
the University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital. He was born August 4,
1939, in Lewisburg, Kentucky, to the late Lawrence E. Forgy, Sr. and Mary
Greene Forgy. Larry grew up in
Morgantown, Kentucky, and in Lewisburg, where his father was a merchant and his
mother taught school for many years until her retirement.
As a
distinguished attorney, public servant, and political figure, Larry’s long
career spanned six decades and earned him a place as one of the Commonwealth’s
most memorable and enduring personalities, who was known for his intelligence,
colorful wit, and rhetorical brilliance. He attended school in Morgantown and
then graduated from high school in Lewisburg, his parents’ hometown where they
moved in the mid-1950s to help run the family business. He excelled in both academics and in sports,
averaging 19 points per game in his senior season (1956-57) and receiving a
scholarship to play basketball at the University of Tennessee at Martin. Larry transferred to University of Kentucky
after two years at UT-Martin and, after one year there, completed his
undergraduate studies at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. While in Washington, Larry worked as a US
Capitol guard while attending the George Washington College of Law, where he
obtained his law degree in 1964. While
working as a Capitol guard, he began life-long acquaintances with several US
Senators and representatives, which he maintained in later years. As a Capitol guard, Larry developed a
lifelong friendship with a fellow guard, Harry Reid of Nevada, who later became
a US Senator and majority leader. The
two maintained regular contact in the ensuing years.
While
working in Washington, Larry met his future wife, Frances Anderson of Baton
Rouge, Louisiana, who was executive secretary to Congressman T.A.
Thompson. The two were married in 1963,
and their son John was born in 1966.
After graduation from law school, Larry served as legal counsel to the
Joint Committee on Taxation. But events
in Kentucky called him home in 1967.
The Forgy
family of Logan and Butler Counties had a long history of political activism
and involvement. Larry’s grandfather,
Pearl Forgy, was instrumental in persuading Governor Flem Sampson to pave
Highway 431 between Lewisburg and Central City in the 1920s. Larry’s father,
Lawrence, was a longtime chairman of the Logan County Republican Party and
served as a local contact person during the Eisenhower administration. Through his contacts, Larry served as driver
for Senator John Sherman Cooper during his successful campaigns and for Senator
Thruston B. Morton in his successful 1962 campaign. Larry became a companion of Senator Cooper’s
and drove him in Washington D.C. until his return to Kentucky in 1967. Larry’s father’s connections facilitated
Larry’s move to Washington in 1960, as well as his return to Kentucky in 1967.
In November
of 1967, Louie B. Nunn of Barren Co. was elected as Kentucky’s first Republican
governor since 1943. Governor Nunn
assembled a group of advisors known as the “whiz kids,” including such notables
as Eugene Goss, Tom Emberton, and Jim Host.
Included in the group was Larry Forgy, who served Governor Nunn as state
budget director, deputy commissioner of finance, director of asset management
and legal counsel. While living in
Frankfort, Fran and Larry’s daughter, Katherine, was born in June of 1969. In
1971, Larry was offered a senior position at UK by President Otis Singletary
and served there as Vice President of Finance until 1975.
While Vice
President at UK, Larry met and impressed former Kentucky governor and US Court
of Appeals Judge Bert T. Combs, who persuaded him to join his law firm,
Tarrant, Combs and Bullitt, in Louisville Kentucky. Larry practiced law with
the firm, which later became what is now Wyatt, Tarrant and Combs, for a dozen
years, in both its Louisville and Lexington offices. But his interests and
activities never ventured far from the political arena. In 1980, he was
selected as state campaign chairman for the presidential campaign of Ronald
Reagan. Under Larry’s leadership, Governor Reagan narrowly carried Kentucky and
won the national election. Larry then served for several years as Kentucky's
member on the Republican National Committee, a position he often mentioned as
being the most interesting of his political life.
In 1981,
Larry and his family moved from Louisville to Lexington. While maintaining his
association with the law firm, Larry also became president of the South East
Coal Sales Company, headquartered in Lexington and then a major producer and
supplier in the coal industry. At the same time, he was instrumental in
representing the interests of tobacco farmers in maintaining the tobacco price
support program that was threatened at the time.
In 1984,
Larry was asked again to lead President Reagan's election effort. Campaigning
for both President Reagan and Jefferson County Judge Mitch McConnell for U.S.
Senator, he was able to lead Reagan to one of the largest majorities ever
obtained in Kentucky, which also led to a victory for McConnell.
Fresh off of
his political and legal successes, Larry was encouraged by Republican party
leaders to run for Kentucky governor in 1987. After seriously considering a
run, Larry declined the opportunity for personal reasons.
In 1987,
Larry moved from the Wyatt law firm to the firm of Stoll, Keenan, and Park in
Lexington, where he practiced for several years. In 1991, Larry made the
surprise late decision to enter the Republican primary for governor in that
year's election. While limiting contributions to $300 per donor and being
substantially outspent by his opponent, Congressman Larry Hopkins, Larry barely
lost the nomination by a one percent margin (1,000 votes statewide).
Larry served on the Board of Georgetown College for a period of time. He also served for several years as a member of the UK Board of Trustees, where he chaired
various committees. In 1995, with strong encouragement from party leaders,
Larry committed early to run for governor in that year's election. Defeating
his only major Republican opponent in the primary by a substantial margin,
Larry won the nomination and faced Lieutenant Governor Paul Patton in the
general election. After a narrow two percent loss in one of the closest races
for Kentucky Governor up to that time, Larry joined the Lexington office of the
Cincinnati-based law firm, Frost and Jacobs, where he continued his legal
practice.
On a
personal level, Larry and Fran were proud of their son, John, who graduated Phi
Beta Kappa from Georgetown University in Washington DC and went on to earn a
law degree from the UK College of Law, and of their daughter, Katherine, who
received her degree from Vanderbilt University and went on to become a school
psychologist in the Fayette County school system, where she continues to work
today. Larry was particularly proud of Katherine's two daughters, Olivia and Virginia
Peppiatt, both of whom are currently college students at Belmont University in
Nashville, TN.
Larry
continued to practice law at the Frost firm in Lexington until 2004, when he
joined the Sheffer Law Firm in Louisville in order to further his insurance
defense practice. In 2005, he established his own Frankfort-based law firm
where he developed a nursing home defense practice that sustained him and
several associates for many years. He was particularly pleased when his son,
John, joined the practice in 2010. Together, Larry, John and other firm
associates tried numerous nursing home defense cases in eastern Kentucky state
courts with remarkable success.
In early
2014, at age 74, Larry suffered a stroke that curtailed his ability to try
cases and practice law. While John and others maintained the law practice,
Larry was largely limited to an advisory role. This did not deter him, however,
from actively supporting Matt Bevin in his successful gubernatorial primary and
general election campaigns in 2015. During the Bevin administration, Larry
served as an unofficial adviser to Gov. Bevin.
Larry was
preceded in death by his wife, who passed away in 2020, his parents, Lawrence
(1981) and Mary (1999), and his brother, Freddie, who died in a tragic car
accident in 1969.
Larry is
survived by his son, John, his daughter, Katherine, his two granddaughters,
Olivia and Virginia Peppiatt, his sister, Senator Alice Forgy Kerr, his
brother-in-law, Randy Lutke, and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. The
family would also like to thank Larry’s special friend and caregiver, John
Brown, for his years of friendship and service.
A time of visitation will be held at Calvary Baptist Church in Lexington on Monday, January 17, 2022 from 11am to 2pm, with a funeral service following at 2pm. A live stream of the service can be viewed by following this link: Forgy Live Stream which will be active on the day of the service.
In lieu of
flowers, donations can be made to the United Way of Kentucky at
uwky.org/tornado for tornado relief in Mayfield, KY (Graves Co.) and Bowling
Green, KY (Warren Co.).
Guest Book
Henry Duncan
saysLarry and I were high school classmates in Logan County, competing in basketball and baseball. He was a fierce competitor and always interesting and friendly to be around. We moved to Central Kentucky where we continued to communicate. He will be missed.
Brent Risner
saysI first came into contact with Mr. Forgy while covering his 1991 gubernatorial campaign for the Pulaski Week newspaper in Somerset. That was very friendly territory for most any Republican candidate, and it didn't take many appearances for him to endear himself to the faithful there. His folksy and often humorous stump speeches delivered around Pulaski County should have been recorded for posterity. If there was anybody wavering about their vote in the May '91 primary, I don't think too many undecideds were left once he put down the microphone. He made it clear where he stood on the issues. Mr. Forgy seemed always to be a tower of encouragement to others, whether their needs and ambitions were personal or political. He was beloved by many, many Kentuckians.
Jim johnson
saysI grew up with Larry during his Morgantown years. His dad owned the Forgy Hardware Store and his Uncle Joe the drug store. Larry and I were constant play mates until my family moved off to Michigan and then Canada when I was twelve. He was a year older and even then was showing leadership attributes with our friends. Always the leader. We spent hours together every day. Some times playing cowboys and Indians on the bluffs of the Green River with BB guns. Ouch. Later after I moved back to Ky i received several visits from Larry reminiscing about childhood days and all the characters who lived and loved in our hometown. I am proud of all his many accomplishments and to have known him. Alice I know how you admired him so much as he did you. He is with your brother Freddie and all his loved ones and all those characters he grew up with. Children and grand children you are descended from a great, honest and true man. Brilliant , self confident but humble. I treasure our childhood memories.
Don Bell
saysI first met Larry during 1959, in Washington, D. C. Larry was attending George Washington University Law School. I had a non-agent position with the FBI. Over the years Larry and I have been involved in many facets of life, together. He was one of the most intelligent, capable individuals I have ever known. Without question, he was one of the best public speakers I have ever listened too. His honesty and love for Kentucky is without question. He always wanted to remain in Kentucky in whatever field or career he might choose. He was always concerned about doing the right thing. Larry and I have been involved in situations, together, that tested his true honesty and integrity. He always came out on the correct side. He was/is a true Kentuckian. I will certainly miss him
Susan Stewart Hicks
saysLarry’s mother, Mary Green Forgy, was my father’s first cousin. Their mothers were sisters. (McReynolds) She was a wonderful woman. His father, Lawrence, always made sure my father had a job when the republicans were in power in Kentucky even though my daddy was a diehard democrat. Lawrence was a good man. Larry came by his love of law and politics honestly. He was a star in every way and I was always proud to claim him as my cousin. His sister, Alice Lynn, has always been so proud of him and loved him well. May the Lord bless and comfort Larry’s dear family.
Van and Marjorie Yandell
saysAlice and family, our condolences on your loss. May God bless.