Carmen L. Forte Irby

Carmen Letricia Forte Irby, longtime nurse and educator of Arkadelphia passed into the Lord’s embrace on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, in Hot Springs, Arkansas. She was born on April 29, 1967, in St. Louis, MO to Carrol Dean Forte and Estella Forte. Her father, Carrol Forte, her grandparents, Charlie Forte, Eardie Bell, Roosevelt Howard and Gracie Howard proceed her in death.

She was a 1985 graduate of Arkadelphia High School in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. She attended Henderson State University then University of Arkansas Medical Sciences where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, where she also received her Registered Nurse Practitioner Certification. She also earned her Master’s Degree in Nursing as a Clinical Nursing Specialist at University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas where she was inducted in the Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society. After earning her master’s degree, she became a Clinical Nurse Specialist-Board Certified. During her nursing career at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, she helped numerous families and children and was the recipient of the Daisy Award in 2008. She was the Program Director of the Following Baby Back Home Visiting Program at University of Arkansas Medical Sciences where she worked with doctors, social workers and other nurses to provide in home assistance and education to families of children who were in NICU. She also taught at Henderson State University in the Nursing department where she made a huge impact on countless nursing students.

Throughout her life she was very involved in her community and enjoyed helping people in any way she could. From ages 6-18 she was a member of Girl Scouts of the USA, and she later served as a counselor. She attended American Legion Auxiliary Girls’ state while she was in high school. Once she became a nurse, she held several clinical positions and was appointed to serve on numerous committees at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Henderson State University and Arkansas Home Visiting Network. She contributed to several nursing publications and received numerous awards, honors, certifications, and joined several nursing organizations. Her community service included being a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Clark County Go Red Empowerment Luncheon, a presenter for ACH Injury Prevention Safety Baby Showers, Sisters United Trainer, and being a board member of the Clark County Charitable Clinic. She was always there to encourage others to pursue their goals, provide words of wisdom and be a beacon of support.

She leaves to cherish her legacy, her husband of 26 years, Mack Irby; one daughter, Macklaine Irby; one son, Landen Irby; her mother, Estella Forte; one brother, Byron Forte; bonus uncle, Herman Thomas; her special friends, Sandra Cross, Deloris Grey-McGhee, Marguerite Gilliam, Diana Leeper, Sheree Hendrix, Aneesah Thompson, Cynthia Scott-Yarber, Gerald Browning, Reba Gaines, Mary Bell, the Irby Family, the Bailey family, the Hill family, the Newborn Family and the Nelson family and many nieces, nephews, special cousins, friends and other family members.

Submitted by the Forte and Irby Families