Richard Wallace Fortner

July 11, 1931 - August 22, 2020

Richard Wallace Fortner, Dean and Professor Emeritus, School of Management, University of Michigan-Flint. Born to John E. and Ruby S. Fortner in Rockville, Indiana, he was the seventh of nine children. He lived his life with a love and need for information and with basic core values of simplicity, independence of action, and the importance of continuing education. He was preceded in death by his parents, three sisters, Marjorie Alice, Betty Timmons, and Mildred Pendergast, and three brothers, Otis. W., Robert T., and Carl L. Other siblings include a sister, Helen Fortner, Fairfax, Virginia; and a brother, Gerry Fortner, Carmel, Indiana. Growing up in a small town in Indiana (Rockville), he earned letters in four high school sports and after graduating as class valedictorian he earned his way through college by scholarships and part-time jobs. He completed undergraduate and graduate studies at Indiana University (IU Bloomington). He earned his B.S. degree in accounting, his M.B.A., and Doctor of Business Administration. He received the Indiana CPA's gold watch award for outstanding academic achievement and, after working with Lybrand, Ross Brothers and Montgomery and with Price Waterhouse & Company, he completed all requirements for the CPA certificate in Indiana. He and Julia Larkins were married December 1956 and before separating in 1980, they raised a family of four wonderful children (with six grandsons): Sharon Lynn Fortner/David Anderson (Jacob, Kyle and Kevin), Winston Salem, N.C.; Kenneth R. Fortner/Sue (Jared and Adam) Clifton, Virginia; William W. Fortner in San Juan Bautista, California; and Thomas E. Fortner/Cecile (John Tyler) in Hayward, California. He completed USAF ROTC program at IU and was commissioned 2nd Lt. in June 1953. His initial active duty assignment was as a faculty member at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (W-P AFB), Dayton, Ohio. During his 30 year career as an Air Force procurement officer, he was a major author on several Air Force procurement and pricing manuals. He served as senior reservist in Research and Development Procurement, in the Air Force Business Research Management Center, and in the F-15 Systems Project Offices. all at W-P AFB, and in the Directorate of Contracting and Manufacturing, Air Force Systems Command (AFSC), Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. In June 1983, he was awarded the Legion of Merit for "exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the U.S. as Mobilization Assistant, Deputy Chief of Staff, Contracting and Manufacturing, AFSC from March 1980 to July 1983". He was officially retired as Colonel from the USAF Reserve in July 1991. His teaching and administration career in higher education began in August 1954 with AFIT (4 years); University of Rochester (U of R), New York (20 years) and University of Michigan -Flint (UM-F) for nearly 4 decades, also teaching part-time at IU, Wittenberg University, and State University of New York at Buffalo. He actively participated in helping the business schools at AFIT, U of R, and UM-F attain accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Admitted at IU as a junior to Beta Gamma Sigma, the national business honor society, he became a charter member of chapters at three other institutions. He was a member of the boards for the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management (12 years) and the Graduate Management Admissions Council, which administers the Graduate Management Admission Test, (four years). Dr. Fortner had a strong interest in music and the arts and many cultural activities, particularly theater. He attended and provided financial support for numerous professional, university and community theater groups; was a member of the Shaw Festival, Canada, attending regularly for more than 25 years. He was a subscriber to BoarsHead and Meadowbrook Theaters, and a member of Performance Network and Ann Arbor Civic Theater, the Greater Flint Arts Council, a 40-year supporter of the Flint Institute of Arts, Flint Rotary and a trustee for the Flint Community Players. He loved travel and took several trips with the IU and UM alumni groups and enjoyed the many friendships made in all these activities. In his final years, he especially valued activities with his loving friend and travel companion Patricia Williams, Bloomington, Indiana. His hobbies included movie viewing and centered on gardening. He enjoyed greatly his close relationship with Braveheart III, aka Melvin, and his successor Rueger, the English Springer Spaniels with whom he spent many hours over the years since May 1998, walking together more than a thousand miles a year (three per day) for more than 10 years. They were great friends and companions. No services will be held at this time. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Flint Community Players in Flint, Michigan or of an organization of the donor's choice. Allen Funeral Home and Crematory, 4155 S. Old State Road 37, Bloomington, have been entrusted with arrangements. Online condolences, photos and memories may be shared with family and friends at www.allencares.com