Carlisle Nelson Forte

Carlisle Nelson Forte was called home to be with the Lord and those that went before him including his beautiful wife Barbara, on Tuesday, March 3, 2020. Carlisle was born September 25, 1927, at home in Awendaw, South Carolina, to Ione Murrell Forte and Carlisle Clifton "Dooley" Forte.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, and his sisters: Murrell Burnette, Mickey Ackerman and Betty Thames

Carlisle grew up in Awendaw when it truly was "the country." The Francis Marion National Forrest and the waters of Bulls Bay were the playground for him and his best friend and first cousin, Lewis White.

Carlisle knew what it was to work. He milked the family's cows, a Jersey & Guernsey, every morning before school. He plowed the corn and vegetable fields with a mule. He was crew on his Daddy's shrimp boat, pulling the single net by hand then picking the catch up from the deck. As a young man, he would walk south on the two lane highway 17 and thumb a ride into Charleston. It was a different time and place.

Carlisle graduated from McClellanville High School and The University of South Carolina. He was employed by Goodyear and the DuPont Company. He was transferred from the Savannah River Site to Wilmington, Delaware. It was there that he met the love of his life, Barbara Link. They were married on February 4, 1961, during a snowstorm.

They raised five children: Celeste Albers (George) of Wadmalaw Island, SC, Melissa Markham (Tony) of Wilmington, DE, Donna Hewitt (Shawn) of Mt Pleasant, SC, Craig Forte (Rick Resing) of Lewes, DE and Mt Pleasant, SC, and Mark Forte of Summerville, SC. He is survived by his cherished grandchildren: Erin Churchill (Aaron), Alyse Hewitt, Gavin Hewitt, Vincent Salerno,, Alexandra Markham and Lindsey Forte.

At the start of their marriage they resided in a one bedroom apartment in Wilmington, Delaware. Carlisle and Barbara soon purchased their first home in a brand new development in North Wilmington. Eventually they settled in Glasgow, Delaware, in a house with enough land for a serious garden. With his children for a workforce, Carlisle began to feed his family from the land. There was a prolific compost pile in the backyard and worm boxes in the basement.

During harvest season it was not uncommon for Barbara and Carlisle to be up all night prepping and canning or freezing the produce of the family's labor. The shelves in the basement groaned with the weight of the preserved tomatoes. We won't speak of the deliciousness of the Silver Queen corn in the freezer!

Carlisle retired from the DuPont Company in 1992, and returned to his home state. He and Barbara set up residence in Mount Pleasant and he began to revitalize the 15 acres of the home place that remained. He double dug beds by hand and commenced to growing vegetables using organic and biodynamic practices. His daughter and granddaughter, Celeste and Erin, helped to make his dream come to fruition.

Carlisle was happiest puttering around with projects related to gardening. Getting into his Volvo station wagon and heading "out to the land" or into town to pick up Erin from school were his greatest pleasures in later life. He enjoyed a long and good and fruitful life.

The family would like to thank the staff of Sommerby Mt Pleasant, for their skilled and loving care. We so appreciate everything that was done on a daily basis to ensure Carlisle's comfort and well being.

We would also like to thank and recognize Crescent Hospice and the wonderful Christ Church family for their care and dedication. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Parkinson Foundation, parkinson.org

There will be a graveside service at Wilson Cemetery on Friday, March 13 at 11:00 AM with a reception to follow at Ocean Grove United Methodist Church, Awendaw, SC.