Lansford Alive will honor a lifetime resident during its annual Christmas party and Black Diamond Award presentation next month.

The group will celebrate Richard E. Forgay Sr., who has served in a number of capacities within the Lansford community and Carbon County for over a half century at the dinner on Dec. 10. The event at the American Legion Post 123, 3 W. Ridge St., Lansford, begins at 5 p.m. and dinner and the awards presentation will take place at 6 p.m.

“Each year, Lansford Alive chooses a business, organization or individual that has made a positive impact in our community,” said Chris Ondrus, Lansford Alive president. “Our board agreed that Richard Forgay Sr. was a perfect candidate for the Black Diamond award. We invite the community to join us in recognizing Richard’s numerous contributions to Lansford and the surrounding area at this event.”

Tickets for the event are available by contacting Megan Anderson at Porvaznik’s Flowers, 570-645-2125 or Lynn Peterson, 570-236-9845. Tickets are $25 per person. Checks should be made payable to Lansford Alive and sent to P.O. Box 172, Lansford, PA 18232. The deadline for tickets is Dec. 2. Seating is limited for this event.

About the recipient

The 92-year-old is one of the few remaining gatekeepers to Lansford’s rich history.

Forgay was born and raised in Lansford, graduating from Lansford High School in 1947.

During this time, he was active in the town’s basketball and baseball programs and met his future wife, Catherine McCall.

The couple was married in 1951 while Forgay was serving in the United States Army during the Korean War.

Following his discharge, Richard and Catherine returned to Lansford and created a home for their family.

Through the years, Forgay worked in the mines, as a letter carrier for the United States Postal Service and as Lansford Borough secretary.

He was also active in the National Association of Letter Carriers; served as executive director of the Carbon-Schuylkill Industrial Development Corp., which worked to bring Silberline Manufacturing and Ametek into the region; was instrumental in Carbon County’s purchase of the Panther Valley Railroad Line in the 1980s and helped Lansford secure nearly $1 million in grants for water lines, the Lansford swimming pool and the former recreation center.

Forgay is an honorary life member of American Fire Company No. 1 in Lansford, which he joined in 1947; and an honorary life member of the B.P.O. Elks, starting in 1950, serving as Exalted Ruler of Lansford Lodge in 1965-66 and District Deputy Grand Exalted Ruler from 1971 to 1973, on the Pennsylvania state and national levels.

He and his son, Rick, still reside in Lansford.