A Celebration of Life for Forrest Stoll will be held at the  First United Methodist Church at 925 North "F" Street in Lompoc on Saturday, April 29th.  Music from the Riptide Jazz Band will begin at 1:30 p.m.

In Lieu of Flowers please make a donation to your Favorite School Music Program.

Forrest D. Stoll, was born November 22, 1921 to Henry and Zona Stoll. He passed away peacefully at the age of 101 on February 19, 2023. He grew up in Elkart, Indiana known for manufacturing Band Instruments. He started to play the trumpet at the age of 8 yrs. old and his family & teachers noticed that he had a natural ability. At the age of 16, he played his trumpet and won the Major Bowes Amateur Hour, a National Radio Show broadcast from New York City (the "American Idol" of the 1930's and 40's).

He attended the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. on a 4 year scholarship. When World War 2 broke out, he enlisted in the Navy and was sent to the South West Pacific to serve on a coastal transport in New Guinea. At the end of the war, he was assigned as Skipper to bring the ship back to the U.S. After discharge from the Navy, he returned to Eastman for an advanced degrees. He met and married Shirley Minard. then accepted a position as trumpet Instructor at the Ohio State University where he worked with the bands. This led to becoming Director of Bands at the University of Utah and then Chairman of their Music Dept. Following his retirement in 1991, he migrated to Lompoc with his wife Shirley and be closer to their children Greg and Susie.

While enjoying his twenty-six years living on the Central Coast of California, he was a substitute teacher for the LUSD from 1991 to 2016 at both the Junior High's and High Schools. He taught private trumpet lessons in his home. He and his son Greg played together in the following ensembles; Lompoc Pops, Allan Hancock Concert Band, The Starlighter's Jazz Combo, Maestro Brass Quintet, RipTide Jazz Band, Praise Ensemble at the Methodist Church, Played hymns on Sunday mornings for Church Services at the Lompoc Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation Center.

Forrest slowed down at age 98 but played a trumpet solo at his 100th Birthday Celebration with the RipTide Band. Forrest was preceded in death by his wife Shirley, parents Henry and Zona, daughter's Gretchen, Susie and sibling Hillis. He is survived by his son Greg (Marie).