Kenneth Wayne Forrest

Kenneth Wayne Forrest, 78, of Concord, passed away on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, at Atrium Health Cabarrus. He was born on February 23, 1947, to the late William Franklin Forrest and Betsy Hartsell Forrest in Cabarrus County.

Ken married the love of his life, Shelby Jean Fink on December 18, 1966, at Sharon Baptist Church. Together they raised two sons, Jeffery and Timothy. Ken worked for nearly 30 years at Public Service Gas Company as a heavy equipment operator. Ken and Shelby were members of Crown Pointe Baptist Church in Kannapolis.

Ken loved tending to his garden; he enjoyed playing in the dirt. He enjoyed growing his vegetables, especially collards. Ken enjoyed traveling to his summer vacation home at the beach. He was an avid fisherman and loved deep sea fishing at the beach. Ken especially loved watching his grandsons play baseball and his granddaughter play softball. He enjoyed spending time with family and friends barbecuing. He will be dearly missed by all who knew him.

Those left to cherish his memory include his wife of 59 years, Shelby Forrest; two sons, Jeffery Wayne Forrest (Lynn) and Tim Franklin Forrest (Christy); three grandchildren, Johnathon Wayne Forrest (fiancé Kayden), Morgan Alexandria Forrest and Jeffery Wayne Forrest Jr.; two great grandsons, Weston Wayne Forrest and Kreed Cannon Black; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents and three siblings, Billy Ray Forrest, Elizabeth Lefler and Kathleen Sweat.

Visitation for Kenneth will be held on Monday, February 9, 2026, from 12:00 PM noon to 1:00 PM at Crown Pointe Baptist Church, 703 Tennessee Street, Kannapolis NC 28083. A funeral service will be held at 1:00 PM with Pastor Doug Crawley officiating. Burial will be in Carolina Memorial Park.