Skip to main content

Lifetime Achievement Award

Every four years, we proudly celebrate the dedication and leadership of select Foresters members who exemplify our purpose.

The Lifetime Achievement Award (LAA) is the highest and most prestigious award a member can achieve within Foresters. It is awarded to members who have distinguished themselves for their character, service and leadership in helping Foresters meet its commitment to its members and the community.

Members are nominated for the award by their local member leaders and any active member is eligible. Winners are selected by the Fraternal Committee of the Foresters Board of Directors and honored at the International Assembly, which occurs every four years.

Over the years, the award was known as the Grand Cross and the Chevalier. But even with these name changes, what has always remained consistent is what this award signifies. Our list of winners here is a collection of all those who have won in the past.

2021

brenda
Brenda Blaber
Ontario South (Regional Council)
Canada
kathryn
Kathryn Forsyth
San Francisco Bay Area
Western US 
connie
Connie Herriman
Great Lakes
Central US
david
David Herriman
Great Lakes
Central US 
william
William Jochum
Central Plains
Central US
stewart
Stewart Miller
Alberta
Canada
john
John (Clive) Myers
North West England and North Wales
UK
judith
Judith Oldfield
Yorkshire and East Midlands
UK
terry
Theresa (Terry) Partridge
South Central & Eastern Ontario (Regional Council)
Canada
joan
Joan Reese
South Central & Eastern Ontario
Canada
ian
Ian Scrutton
Northern UK
UK
gale
Gayle Westacott
South Central & Eastern Ontario
Canada 

2017

Peggy Affolter, Oregon, Idaho Wyoming – Western US
Kathleen Dionne, Greater Toronto Area – Canada
Lois Elkins, South Central and Eastern Ontario – Canada
Richard P. Hennick, North Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas – Central US
Diane Gayle Jones, Quebec and Atlantic Canada – Canada
Julie A. Morrow, Kansas Colorado – Western US
Kenneth Oldfield, Yorkshire and East Midlands – UK
Brian Sharp, Northern UK – UK
Betty L. Shoe, Central Plains – Central US
Lewis E. Smith Jr., North Central Florida – Eastern US
Wanda S. Stranahan, Northeast Ohio – Eastern US
Clifford Thomas (Tom) Wright, British Columbia – Canada
Charles O. Weber, Kansas Colorado – Western US

2013

Larry Baird, Central Plains – Central US
Maureen Bloom, South Central – UK
Christiana Carter, South Central & Eastern Ontario – Canada
Ann Cheetham, Northern UK – UK
Mike Edge, South West England and South Wales – UK
Nancy Elder, Kansas Colorado – Western US
Jo-Anne Galigan, British Columbia – Canada
David Howell, London and South East England - UK
Brian Isabelle, British Columbia – Canada
David Jones, Oregon, Idaho & Wyoming – Western US
Betty Maynard, Quebec and Atlantic Canada – Canada
George Mohacsi, Greater Toronto Area – Canada
Chris Stranahan, Northeast Ohio – Eastern US
Rebecca Wedberg, Washington-Alaska – Western US
Robert Wight, Ontario South – Canada
Leola Williams, Southern Florida – Eastern US

2009

James M. Bowden, North Central & West Texas – Central US
Larry Decker
Rosemary Jasper
, South Central – UK
Kashmir Manchuk, Ontario South – Canada
Laraine J. Morris, Kansas Colorado – Western US
Glenn Reid, British Columbia – Canada
Ruth Breitfelder Rogers, North Carolina Tar Heel, Eastern US
Dave Saunders, Yorkshire and East Midlands – UK
Debora L. Schultz, Alberta – Canada
Edna Mae Scott, Oregon, Idaho & Wyoming – Western US
Korese Vincent, Kansas Colorado – Western US

2005

Kenton F. Affolter, Oregon, Idaho & Wyoming – Western US
James E. Brown, South Texas – Central US
Marjorie Charles, Arizona, New Mexico & Nevada – Western US
Tim Connell, Scotland – UK
Thomas Devine, Great Lakes – Central US
Linda Foster, South Texas – Central US
Rodney Holcroft, Ottawa & St. Lawrence Valleys – Canada
Joan Holman, London and Southern England – UK
David Kube, Ontario South – Canada
Carl J. Lange, Upper Midwest – Western US
Wayne Morris, Kansas Colorado – Western US
Paul B. Penn, Greater Southern California – Western US
Gerald Roberts, Quebec and Atlantic Canada – Canada
Susan Sauer, Alberta – Canada
Charles Smeaton, Canadian Central Plains – Canada

2001

Charles G. Cale, Southern California & Hawaii – Western US
Louie A. Consoli, Southern California & Hawaii – Western US
George (Dean) Francey, British Columbia – Canada
Bill Franz, Illinois – Central US
Lorine R. Gandolfi, Central California & Reno – Western US
Richard Gray, Southwest – Western US
Fred Hannah, Ontario West – Canada
Bernard Hughes, MissLou – Central US
Thomas C. Hutson, Great Lakes – Central US
Rita Peterson, Kansas Colorado – Western US
Winifred Southall, Northern UK – UK
Bob Wedberg, The Greater Northwest

1997

James Daugherty, Southwest – Western US
Herb Golden, Southern California and Hawaii – Western US
J. Robert Heatley, Central & Northern Ontario – Canada
Don Hendry, Michigan – Central US
William R. Hughes, North West England and North Wales – UK
Neil Inkster, Alberta – Canada
Stephen Micklas, Southern California & Hawaii – Western US
L. Maureen Morrison, Alberta – Canada
Kenneth Moxley, Kansas Colorado – Western US
Albert J. Opiela, Illinois – Central US
Jimmy Webb, North Central & West Texas – Central US

1993

Leonard Charles, Liberty Elouise Childers, Southeastern United States – Eastern US
Philip Shorthouse, London and South East England – UK
John W. Walker, Ohio and Muncie – Eastern US

1989

Bernard Bloom – UK Region
Frederick Bohm, Southeastern United States – Eastern US
Ronald Earwaker, London & Southern England – UK
Jerry Foster, South Texas – Central US
Geoffrey Fyles, Yorkshire and East Midlands – UK
Melvin P. Measeles, South Texas – Central US
E. Irene Miles, Southern California & Hawaii – Western US 
Donald Moore, California North – Western US
Peter Sayers, Southern Division – UK

1985

Theodore Balogh, Mid-Eastern – Eastern US
R. Doreen Bates, Central and Northern Ontario – Canada
Howard Cadigan, Manitoba – Canada
James R. Cundy, South Central & Eastern Ontario – Canada
Gerald Cuthbert, Ontario South – Canada
Ron Gates, Southwest England and South Wales – UK
Richard Golio, Mid-Atlantic Division – Eastern US
Robert Hendy, Central and Northern Ontario – Canada
Abdul Karim, Central and Northern Ontario – Canada
Nesha Karim, Greater Toronto Area – Canada
John Richard Lee, Greater Toronto Area – Canada
Hugh Lindsay, British Columbia & Alaska – Canada/Western US
Bill Mayer, California North – Western US
Kenneth Peterson, Colorado – Western US
Helen R. Sullivan, Greater Southern California – Western US
Edwin Tupper, Southern California & Hawaii – Western US
Stanley Zelasko, Illinois and East Wisconsin – Central US

1981

Eugene G. Altier, Upper Midwest – Western US
Ethan Allen, Washington-Alaska – Western US
Louis Cestari, Liberty
John Cooper, North West England and North Wales – UK
William Cory, London and Southern England, UK
James Cundy, South Central & Eastern Ontario – Canada
William Curtis, California North – Western US
Peter Daly, Greater Toronto Area – Canada
Leon Ellis, North Central Florida – Eastern US
Vincent Faraone, Southern California and Hawaii – Western US
William Jones, Southern California – Western US
John Karaffa, Midwest and Southern – Western US
Robert Neff, Indiana – Central US
Paul Weber, Southern California – Western US
Thomas Zumm, Illinois Division – Central US

1977

Edward G. Olson, California North – Western US
Kenneth Podewell, Illinois and East Wisconsin – Central US
Joseph Samfilippo, Southwest – Western US
Lee Williamson, California South – Western US

1973

Leo Atkins, Ontario Central – Canada
Edward Cohn, Northern California – Western US
Albert Cowan, London & Southern England – UK
James I. Martin, California South – Western US
Churchill Smith, California South – Western US
Andrew Stewart, Ontario Central – Canada
John G. Wood, Ohio and Kentucky – Eastern US

1969

Clarence Hoffman, Minnesota – Central US
Louis Hubbard, California South – Western US
Leslie Morgan, Ontario Central – Canada
John Prendergast, Washington – Western US
G. Eugene Rideout, Ontario Central – Canada
John E. Smith, Alberta – Canada

1965

D. W. R. Carter, South England – UK
Wharton Hood, Greater Toronto Area – Canada
John Sherman, California South – Western US

1961

B. C. Hallum, Illinois – Central US
Oral A. Ling, Ontario West – Canada
Garfield Riideout, Ontario Central – Canada
Clair Whelchel, Oregon – Western US

1957

Dr. Normal Clark, Ontario Central – Canada
J. B. Pilbrow, England – UK
Leetate Smith, Southern California – Western US
Henry Thomas, Ohio – Eastern US
Bruce D. Wood, California South – Western US

1953

Edward Brown, California South – Western US
Delos Cole, Ontario Central – Canada
Samuel Eckler, Greater Toronto Area – Canada
Florence Hallum, Illinois – Central US
Clifford McCreary, Ontario Central – Canada
Joseph Miller, South Dakota – Central US
John H. Moholy, California South – Western US
G. Everett De More, New York East – Eastern US
George Wands, Ontario West – Canada

1950

Irving Hartman, New York Greater
Harold Steele, Ontario Central
Dr. Tom Tousley, California North

1949

Fred Clarkson, Ontario Central
Maurice Griffen, California North
Ernest La Joie, Michigan
Dr. H. Prid’homme, Quebec Montreal
Alma D. Probst, California South
Kassie Robertson, Ontario Central
Frank Waterson, Ontario West

1945

Stanley Aldridge, New York
West Roy F. Cook, Ontario Central
L. J. S. Deschamps, Quebec East
Lilian Hackley, California South
Dr. T. D’Arcy Quinn, California South
Henry Sutcliffe, Yorkshire, England 
T. C. Woolley, Ontario Central
Malvern A. Wright, California North

1943

Robert Bigelow, Ontario Central
W. R. Blight, Ontario Central
P. F. Falls, Ontario Central
Edgar A. Jones, Illinois

1942

Dr. George Becker, California South
Samuel Gilbert, New York Greater

1941

P. G. Drautzburg, Illinois
Frank E. Hand Jr., California
South R. Junkerman, Washington & Oregon
Louis E. Probst, California North

1940

F. Oldfield, New York West

1938

John Engstrom, Illinois
Dr. C. B. Parker, Ontario Central
Tom Robertson, Ontario Central
J. J. Rossbottom, New York Greater
F. C. Schoenbaum, Wisconsin

1937

John Carroll, California
James Elder, Ontario Central
C. T. Trowbridge, Ontario East
E. Waters, Manitoba

1936

Charles Hamm, Ontario Central

1935

J. E. Stark, New York West

1933

A.Gilbert, Lancs, England

1932

R. G. Douglas, Ontario West
J. W. Muir, Missouri

1931

F. K. Anstie, Ontario West
F.M. McKay, Ontario Central

1930

H. N. Hartig, New York Greater
H. J. Oliver, Ontario

1929

W. Averton
S. G. Dunkerley
, California South
E. R. Gagnon, Quebec Montreal
Blanche Hand E. J. Todd, New Brunswick
B. W. Willcox, New York West

1928

T. H. Saunders, Ontario Central
E. Wright, Yorks. England

1927

J. S. Mcann, Ontario East
J. McCullough, Ontario East
F. A. T. McKinstry, Manchester, England
J. J. Yates, New York West

1926

W. W. Dunlop, Ontario Central
J. A. Ferguson, New York Greater
G. W. Kuss, California North
C. F. Vogel, Illinois


We have made every effort to include all past winners on this list, but if you notice that a name is missing, please email us at membergovernance@foresters.com and we will update the page.

419992 US (11/21)