Tory Oliver Andrew Fort

Tory Fort, 49 of Naples, passed away Wednesday, May 4, 2011 at his home. Tory Oliver Andrew Fort was born Aug. 8, 1961 in Sandpoint, Idaho to Ellis Andrew Fort and Gladys (Zordell) Fort on the hottest day (110 degrees) ever at that time. His father was in the Air Force so they moved around a bit, ending up in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia where he lived for the next 4 years. When his parents divorced he and his family moved back to Sandpoint where he went through Sagle School. At the age of 16 he went to Tongue Point Job Corp at Astoria, Oregon for 2 years. Tory met Julie Murphy and they had a son, TJ. Tory was unable to find steady employment so he went to California where he not only found jobs, but married Bonnie Waters Leap Year Day 1984. That marriage ended in divorce and he came back to Sandpoint again. He found work at Beeman’s Machinist Shop where he worked for the next 3 or 4 years. His sister needed help so Tory quit his job and went to Salt lake City, Utah to help her out. After a year they moved back to Sandpoint with her 3 children. Tory went back to work at Beeman’s again and worked there for the next few years. After a second marriage failed he moved to Springfield, Oregon where his mother and step-father were living and lived there for 3 years. He worked at Country Coach doing all of the electrical work on the big multi-million dollar motor homes with the last being for Ernest Borgne who he got to know quite well and delighted in having known him, telling many stories about that. Once again Tory moved back to Sandpoint where he would stay for the rest of his life, working at Wal-mart in the Automotive Department for several years before working for several other companies followed by long stretches of unemployment. Tory loved roaming the forests, fishing on the small lakes, eagerly awaiting the time to find the first Morrel and what he called Calf’s Brains mushrooms which he would always take to his mother for Mother’s Day. Tory had a huge sense of humor and dearly loved pulling jokes on all of his family and friends. He would give you the shirt off of his back if he thought you needed it worse than he did. He is survived by his 5 children: Patrick & Raeann Fort of Tulare, CA, TJ Fort who is a long haul truck driver, Elizabeth & John Morris of Lawrence, Kansas, Andrew of Ponderay, Sylvia Fort of Torrance, CA; four grandsons: Bryce, Brock, Aiden, Sebastian; his brother: Tim of Kellogg, Tracy of Spirit Lake and the sister he prayed to get; Tonya & Daniel Petruss of Spokane, WA; his mother: Gladys Larson and his step-father he thought so much of and was always doing special little things for through the 16 years that he was a part of Tory’s family, Art Larson of Naples. Memorial services for Tory will be conducted 10:00AM, Friday, May 13, 2011 at Cocolalla Cowboy Church, with Pastor Steve Bradshaw, officiating.