Civic leader, educator lives on as school’s namesake

Of all the accomplishments Robert Forbuss achieved over the course of his life, none was more special to him than the honor of having a Clark County elementary school bear his name, according to those close to him.

Robert L. Forbuss Elementary, 8601 S. Grand Canyon Drive, was thus titled in 2005 by the Clark County School District's School Name Committee.

Judi Steele, president and chief professional officer of the Public Education Foundation, was on that committee and said she nominated Forbuss for the honor.

"He was so proud," she said of her friend of more than 34 years. "He dedicated as much time to the school as he could. He felt so proud, so privileged."

Forbuss graduated from Bishop Gorman High School, now at 5959 S. Hualapai Way, and went on to earn bachelor's degrees in public administration and political science from Long Beach State University. He returned to teach at Gorman from 1972 to 1979.

"Bob was a teacher," Steele said. "He understood education as a teacher would."

Forbuss was elected to the school district's Board of Trustees in 1978 at age 28. According to Steele, he was the youngest board member.

"It was refreshing for him to bring his new ideas to the district," she said.

Political adviser and advertising executive Sig Rogich was close with Forbuss. Rogich also shares the honor of having a school in the district named for him.

"It is a fitting tribute," Rogich said of the honor Forbuss received. "And he took it to heart."

Rogich, who drove Forbuss to the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz., for tests that led to the diagnosis of ALS ­- or Lou Gehrig's disease - in 2010, said the two of them would often visit their respective schools.

"He was a special guy," Rogich said. "The school is a reflection of that."

Shawn Paquette, principal of Forbuss Elementary since its opening in 2008, said he and his staff will continue to teach the students about their school's namesake.

"We've done a great job at providing students with the type of education Bob would've wanted," he said.

Before his death Aug. 11 at age 64, Forbuss sought a partnership with The Smith Center for the Performing Arts in order to help expose the students of his school to the arts.

"He was a bridge builder," Steele said of Forbuss' long career in the school district. "He tried to create partnerships between private sector and public schools."

As a teacher and a Board of Trustees member, she said, Forbuss taught people how to look at issues from different points of view.

"Bob helped people to find common ground and build from there," she said. "That's something we all could use now."

Contact Southwest/Spring Valley View reporter Nolan Lister at nlister@viewnews.com or 383-0492.