James Daryl Forrest, 41 of Lexington Park, MD passed away on June 22, 2010 at his residence.

Daryl passed away suddenly at his Lexington Park home doing what he loved best, working on his computer.

He is survived by his partner, Clay Griffin; his parents, Melvin and Minnie Forrest of Ridge, MD, sister, Rebecca (Lyn) Forrest of Dameron, MD, his nephew, Jonathan Martin of Lexington Park, MD and his maternal grandmother, Ruby Adkinson of Aiken, SC. He is predeceased by his fraternal grandparents, Esther and Howard Forrest; his maternal grandfather, Brinkley Adkinson; and his niece, Jenna Lyn Martin.

Daryl was a software engineer at J. F. Taylor, Inc. (Lexington Park). He was respected by his peers, commended by his managers, and recently celebrated his 18th year with the company. Daryl's interest in computers began in the fourth grade, leading him to the first computer he owned: a TI-99. He was a computer enthusiast ever since then, taking pleasure in the advancement of technology year after year. Daryl graduated from St. Mary's Ryken High School (Leonardtown) in 1987 with high honors, where he was a Merit Scholar and member of the Honor Society. Daryl received his Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science, with a minor in Math, from Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, VA) in 1992.

Daryl delighted his friends with his generosity and thoughtfulness, and his irreverent and impish sense of humor. He took such great pleasure in giving gifts, that on Christmas he had to be reminded to open his own presents. He enjoyed computer gaming with a passion, and constantly tried to convert Clay into a fellow enthusiast. To his great delight, he succeeded in this with Lyn. Another of his greatest pleasures was talking games and cars and politics with Jonathan. Daryl approached dining with gusto, often exploring new restaurants and new cuisines with Clay, both locally and in the Washington Metro area. Family get-togethers were always events he enjoyed, chaotic conversations and tons of laughter. He was devoted to his family, especially his Mom and Dad. Daryl wasn't only a 'son' or a 'brother' or an 'uncle', but a true and loyal friend as well. He enjoyed opening the world of computers to them and was the one turned to first for guidance, advice or help. He never let them down. If he didn't already know the answer - which was extremely rare - he would soon come up with a solution. Daryl was an avid reader who would quickly consume books. He was enthusiastic about gardening at his home, where he also took great pleasure from his cats and fish. Daryl listened to music constantly and kept abreast of architecture and the arts. Although he enjoyed periodic travel, he tried to avoid air travel because he hated - with a passion - having to take his shoes off for security. Daryl chafed against unnecessary annoyances in life, like too many previews at the beginning of DVDs, and poorly designed Web sites. He was known to his friends as a passionate advocate of Macintosh computers, iPhones, and iPads. During his last nine years, Daryl performed his professional work in his self-designed second-floor home office, enjoying views of nature from the office's ten windows. Daryl looked forward with great enthusiasm and optimism to everything the future had to offer. His excitement for living was continuing to grow when he reached the end of his brief, vibrant life.

In lieu of flowers, please send charitable contributions in Daryl's name to Southern Maryland Food Bank, P.O. Box 613, Hughesville, MD 20637; St. Mary's Caring, P.O. Box 144, Lexington Park, MD 20653 or Food & Friends.

Arrangements provided by Brinsfield Funeral Home.