Ingely Hansmann Forbes was born in Basel, Switzerland, on Aug. 11, 1935, to Ernst Hansmann and Alma Taennler who were married in 1933. In 1938, they immigrated to the United States and became naturalized citizens. They lived in New Bedford, Mass., with her parents, and her sister, Margaretha Elizabeth (Birknes), now deceased.
She completed high school and went on to University of Massachusetts, Amherst, graduating with a degree in economics. She then earned a graduate degree in business administration while in the Harvard-Radcliffe Program in Boston, Mass., and after graduation was hired by the program to recruit top candidates nationwide.
While living in Cambridge, Mass., Ingely met and married Malcolm H. Forbes in 1963. They subsequently had three children, Hilary Allison, Malcolm Cameron and Garrett Andrew. Together they raised the children, beginning in Cazenovia, N.Y., followed by Decatur, Ill., and Evansville, Ind., ending up in Bristol, R.I.
When the children were old enough, she began volunteering in Evansville as president of the Girl Scout Council, Philharmonic Guild and Musicians Club, and vice president of Leadership Evansville. She then accepted a position as director of volunteer services at Welborn Baptist Hospital, overseeing more than 400 volunteers. Five years later she joined Citizens Bank (IN) as business development officer in the trust department. Banking is where her career started at the Northern Trust in Chicago, and ended when she retired in 1998 from being a branch manager at Citizens Bank of RI.
The fun of being retired occurred immediately. First there was a move to Connecticut into the Forbes family homestead, built in 1770, which had to undergo extensive restoration. Being in the town of Litchfield, Ingely believed that if you want to meet people, you get involved in volunteerism. So next there was Community Foundation of Northwest Connecticut, helping to establish the Women and Girls Fund, and then Litchfield Historical Society on whose board she served. Soon thereafter she joined the League of Women Voters and was membership chair. For the Litchfield Aid to the CT Junior Republic she served as treasurer and president, and in addition she managed the finances of the Women’s Forum for a number of years
During all those years when Ingely and her husband were working and making tuition payments for their three children, they agreed that upon retirement they would hit the road which they have done. First to England and Scotland, then to Australia and New Zealand, Italy, Russia, Germany, Greece, Spain, and a cruise around South America from San Francisco to Rio de Janeiro.
Ingely admitted that she did not read as many books as intended, but she got through at least one a month to satisfy membership in a book club. She also supported the Waterbury Symphony, the Hartford Stage and Live from the MET.
She always said that this was a wonderful place to live and blessed to have good friends. (obituary from Republican American)