Malcolm Robbins Forbes (1934-2021) of Merrimack, NH passed peacefully away at home after a short illness at the age of 86. He was predeceased by his parents, Lester Forbes and Mary (Robbins) Forbes of New Rochelle, NY. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Rebecca (Coffin), three daughters, Leslie (Alex) Inglis of Peterborough, NH, Catherine (Thomas) Shearer of Essex Junction, VT, and Jennifer Forbes, of Merrimack, NH. He delighted in his four grandchildren, Jamie and Munroe Shearer, and Rowan and Gwyneth Inglis. He is also survived by his sister Nancy Myers, her children and grandchildren. He was predeceased by her son, Bradford.

Malcolm was born in Paris, France on March 28th, 1934 because, as he said, "My mother was there at the time." His parents were Americans living abroad from 1926 To 1939. His family returned to the US at the beginning of World War II, moving first to Brookline, MA then to New Rochelle, NY. He grew up on the sixth floor of an apartment building, learning to walk quietly so as not to disturb his downstairs neighbors; a trait his children did not inherit. He graduated from New Rochelle High School in 1951. He and Rebecca moved to Merrimack in 1968, and he worked as a Technical Representative at Hampshire Chemical in Nashua until his retirement in 1991.

After his family, the great loves of his life were the United States Marine Corps, sailing, and playing the bagpipes. He served in the USMC from 1954-1957, stationed at Camp Upshire at Quantico. His love of sailing grew from his time in the U.S. Coast Guard where he had the opportunity to sail on the tall ship, USCGC Eagle. In his 40's, he learned to play the bagpipes and for many years played with the Ashby Scots Highlanders Bagpipe Band. He frequently practiced at odd hours of the day and night, much to the enjoyment and chagrin of his neighbors and family.

Malcolm had many and varied hobbies throughout the years. During the Bicentennial he was a member of Stark's Rangers, a Revolutionary War reenactment group, where he taught himself to play the fife and became interested in muzzle-loader shooting. He was a camping enthusiast, culminating in a family cross-country camping trip in 1983. Malcolm relished his time on his Swampscott dory sailing off the New England coast. He enjoyed hunting and fishing and was a 50-year member of the Nashua Fish & Game Association. Other interests included calligraphy, photography, history, amateur astronomy, reading, technology, and much more. He prided himself on being a life-long learner.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to NHSCOT ( https://nhscot.org/support-us/donate ), the organization behind the NH Highland Games, an annual celebration of Scottish heritage. Malcolm and his family attended these Games every September for over thirty years.

Due to COVID restrictions, there will be a small in-person service for immediate family on Saturday, Feb 13 at 1 pm at St. James UMC in Merrimack. Other friends and family are invited to view the service via livestream at that time. Please contact the family at lonach34@gmail.com to obtain the log in information. A graveside service is planned for later this year when we hope to be able to gather in person.