Betty Forrest

FORREST - Betty Tardy, age 81, widow of jazz tenor saxophonist Jimmy (Nightrain) Forrest, passed away on October 21, 2011 after a long illness. Daughter of supermarket pioneers L.V. and Lola Eberhard, she worked in the Personnel Department of Eberhard Foods, Inc. for 30 years, taking early retirement in 1987, prior to her father's death and the dissolution of the company. She is survived by her sons, Kirby (Deborah) Tardy, Raymond Kelly Tardy; daughter Melvene Tardy; two step sons, Rodney Tardy, and Michael B. Johnson, Sr.; her grandchildren, Jessica and Nik Tardy, Taryn Dover; and her great granddaughter, Ava Matthis. She is also survived by her sister, Joan Stagg (Joe) Gallagher; many nieces and nephews; and a host of dear friends and Heritage Hill neighbors. Her brothers, R. Wayne and Donald Eberhard predeceased her. Mrs. Forrest was active in civil rights movements in the 1950's and 1960's, starting a local chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality (C.O.R.E.) and serving as Secretary & Education Chairman of the N.A.A.C.P. at the time of their school desegregation suit against the Grand Rapids Public Schools. She founded the West Michigan Jazz Society in 1986 and through it maintained the Jimmy Forrest Jazz Scholarship Fund, and served as editor of the organization's newsletter for 25 years. Her pleasures were reading, swimming, her much beloved Airedale, Brando, and acting as a problem solver to whoever sought her advice or assistance. You may honor her commitment to assist high school and college students pursuing Jazz studies by making a donation to the West Michigan Jazz Society's Scholarship Fund, 4144 Bulrush NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49534. A Remembrance will be held Saturday, November 5, 2011 at Brown's Funeral Chapel at 627 Jefferson SE from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. followed by A Celebration of Life Jazz Event from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Kopper Top Guest House, 634 Stocking NW. Further information can be found at www.wmichjazz.org and on Facebook's West Michigan Jazz Society page.