In Memoriam: Orcilia Zuniga Forbes, 1938-2015

Orcila Zuniga Forbes, a longtime college administrator who at the time of her death was a member of the board of trustees at Oregon State University, passed on August 28. She was 77 years old.

Dr. Forbes served as vice president for university advancement at Oregon State from 1998 to 2004. She joined the board of trustees in 2013. Earlier in her career, Dr. Forbes was the vice president of student affairs and institutional advancement at the University of New Mexico and the dean of students and vice president of student affairs at Portland State University in Oregon.

Ed Ray, president of Oregon State University, said that “her service as OSU vice president for advancement and on the Oregon University System and Oregon State boards was exemplary. In my career, I have found that at any important meeting, there are people who you will always hear from. And then there are the few people like Orcilia, who you want to hear from. She made people around her better leaders and people.”

Dr. Forbes was a native of Carlsbad, New Mexico. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of New Mexico in 1960. Dr. Forbes held master’s degrees from Oregon Health Sciences University and University of California at Berkeley. She earned a doctorate in educational policy and management from the University of Oregon.