Royce Forsyth started marching for liberal causes when he was a 17-year-old student at Denver's South High School.

And in many ways - throughout his entire life as an educator, labor organizer, political activist, civil libertarian and gospel choir member - he never stopped.

Mr. Forsyth died at home Feb. 13. He was 79.

His son, Herrick, said the family first realized something was wrong when his father failed to show for the Downtown Democrats meeting that night.

"He was always an advocate for change," Herrick Forsyth said of his father. "He really felt that whatever he could, he would do, in a passive, nonviolent way for the betterment of all. That's what he was all about."

Royce Delmer Forsyth was born in Denver on April 6, 1927, to a close-knit family. His grandparents, two aunts and three uncles lived within walking distance of his parents' south Denver home. His father, Paul, served as chief of the Denver Fire Department.

Mr. Forsyth earned bachelor's and graduate degrees from the University of Denver.

In 1949, he married the late Betty L. Selby. The couple had three children, Trudy Forsyth, of Broomfield, Herrick, of Highlands Ranch, and Shelby, of Denver.

That year, Mr. Forsyth began working for Denver Public Schools, starting as a teacher of history and government at Smiley and Merrill junior high schools.

He went on to work several jobs within DPS, including supervisor of community relations and curriculum development, and district lobbyist at the Statehouse.

A key event of his education career unfolded in 1969, when he helped found the Balarat Center for Environmental Studies near Jamestown and served as supervisor for a decade. An avid hiker, Mr. Forsyth wanted to create a program that brought inner-city youths closer to nature.

He was active in labor issues, having served as president of the Colorado Federation of Teachers and as a convention delegate for the Colorado Labor Council. He also served as state chairman of the American Civil Liberties Union.

In the 1970s, he became active in the Democratic Party. He served as a committeeman for 18 years. He managed a campaign for former state Sen. Pat Pascoe and served until his death on an advisory committee for House Speaker Andrew Romanoff.

After the death of his first wife, he married Laura Dodson in 2000. The couple had met in a Quaker Friends Meeting.

"Royce was a gentle loving man," she said. "Even if he didn't agree with somebody, he respected people for who they were."

They enjoyed traveling together, not to traditional vacation spots but to more culturally vibrant places.

A memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday in the Great Hall at the Iliff School of Theology, 2201 S. University Blvd. The Spirituals Project Choir, a group Mr. Forsyth belonged to, will perform at the service.

Contributions can be sent to the Democratic Party at 789 Sherman St., Suite 145, Denver, 80203, or to the Balarat Outdoor School in care of Denver Public Schools, 900 Grant St., Denver, 80203, to aid in the purchase of a wind turbine.

ensslinj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5291