Charles Forster, the former president of Buena Vistaâs Collegiate Peaks Bank, was a Salida resident, but his commitment to the townâs businesses and community outreach affected the Buena Vista area as well.
âHe certainly had his eye out for the community up here,â said Joel Benson, who worked with Forster while he was Buena Vistaâs mayor. âHe was just a brainstormer. He was always trying to come up with a way to help contribute economically to the northern end (of Chaffee County), and the whole county. He was always trying to think of ways to make things work for the good of town.â
Buena Vista and Chaffee County lost a leader and friend with the death of Charles âCharlieâ Forster, 72, following a long battle against a type of lymphoma cancer.
A family friend confirmed late Thursday that Forster, the former president of Collegiate Peaks Bank died peacefully Thursday at his home in Salida.
Better known as Charlie, Forster recently retired after a 50-year career in banking, the last 30 years in Chaffee County.
While banking was his business, he immediately became involved in his new community when he moved to Salida in 1985. For many years, he ran the Buena Vista Collegiate Peaks Bank.
He had an enduring commitment to health care and was inducted into the Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Centerâs Hall of Fame in 2016.