Stephen Martin Forrest

Stephen Martin Forrest passed away suddenly on July 19th, at 59 years of age. Steve was born in Paterson, New Jersey, on May 10th, 1956. He was an independent, free spirited adventurer, traveling and camping with boy scouts and taking trips to the family farm as a youth. He later continued his adventures by traveling several times across the country before ultimately settling in Goleta, CA, in 1981 with his beloved wife, Patti, whom he married in 1980.

He graduated from General Motors Institute as a Mechanical Engineer in 1979 and started his professional career as an engineer at Mini Cars Incorporated in Goleta, CA, which evolved to become Liability Research. With his partner, Steve Meyer, Steve created an automotive safety firm, Safety Analysis and Forensic Engineering, known as SAFE, in 1997. He became a highly respected expert witness in the field of automotive safety, testifying in automotive injury related trials. He wrote many technical papers on automotive safety and, through his work, he has influenced numerous changes in the automotive industry making vehicles safer for millions of drivers.

Steve will be remembered as a loving husband, father and son. His family was always the most important achievement of his life. He never missed an opportunity to show his love and pride for his girls. He leaves behind his beautiful wife Patti of 35 years, and his lovely daughters, Amy and her partner Nori, and Kate and her partner Adam. Steve is also survived by his parents, Martin and Bernice Forrest (Oakland, NJ), and his siblings, Bernice Staudinger (NJ), Martin Forrest (ME) and Annemarie Mitchell (DE).

Friends and family will gather to mourn his loss and celebrate his life on Friday, July 24th. Those who wish to honor and remember him are invited to join the family at the Welch-Ryce-Haider Funeral Home on 15 East Sola Street in Santa Barbara, CA, from 1-4pm, with a small service at 2pm.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Casa Esperanza or the charity of your choice.