Hamden Landon Forkner Jr., 89

Hamden "Ham" Landon Forkner, Jr., of Bigfork, a B-17 pilot and distinguished educator, died on July 8, 2008, at Kalispell Regional Medical Center after a brief illness.

Born in Berkeley, Calif., on Dec. 22, 1918, to Hamden and Marjorie Moore Forkner, Ham graduated from University High School in 1936. He received a bachelor's degree in 1940 from the University of California-Berkeley and was a member of Skull and Keys, the Interfraternity Council and president of Zeta Psi Fraternity.

Following service in World War II, he earned master's and doctorate degrees from Teachers College, Columbia University, in New York City.

Ham earned his Air Force wings in November 1942, and was assigned to the newly formed 381st Heavy Bomb Group - an early Flying Fortress Group. The group joined the 8th Air Force at Ridgewell (UK) in May 1943. Ham and his nine-man crew flew squadron lead on the notorious Aug. 16-17, 1943, bombing raids on the Schweinfurt ball bearing factories.

After being hit with anti-aircraft fire, Ham and his crew bailed out of their burning plane and all survived; he was hidden by the Dutch resistance for 14 months until liberation. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal and several battle ribbons, and later flew air-sea rescue missions in the South Pacific with the 13th Air Force.

While attending graduate school at Teachers College, Columbia University, he met and married Elinor Jeanne Smith of Shaker Heights, Ohio, who was also a graduate student at Teachers College. Ham subsequently became managing editor of the Teachers College Press, taught professional writing courses there, and later served as director of development and secretary of the college.

In 1957, Ham and his family moved to Ridgewood, N.J., where they lived for 36 years. He was active in the Upper Ridgewood Community Church and in other community affairs.

Ham was an avid tennis player and was a member of Upper Ridgewood Tennis Club, serving several terms as a trustee and was president of the club in 1979-'80.

In 1970, Ham left Columbia University and established the Forkner Publishing Corporation - a textbook publishing company. He was chairman and CEO until he sold the company in 1980 and retired.

In 1993, Ham and his wife moved permanently to their summer home in Bigfork. Elinor passed away in 2006 after a long illness.

Ham is survived by a daughter, Leslie G. Forkner, of Charlestown, Mass., and a grandson, Ross Hamden Kukulinski, a senior at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

In accordance with his desires, there will be no services.

The family requests that those wishing to honor Ham's memory make a donation to the Bigfork QRU.

Buffalo Hill Funeral Home is caring for the family. Condolences may be sent to www.buffalohillfh.com