Anthony Fortner
August 16, 1986 – January 14, 2024

Anthony Michael Fortner, 37, of Springfield, Missouri, passed away January 14, 2024, surrounded by family. He died of a traumatic brain injury sustained as the result of a fall.

Anthony was born in Springfield on August 16, 1986, to Michael and Diana Fortner. From an early age, he took to heart a common order his Grandpa Dan barked at hundreds of other young people, “Get to work!” Anthony thrived working in the family concessions business at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds, jumping in headfirst with dedication beyond his years. When asked which of her three boys was the best worker in those days, his mother Diana stated without hesitation, “Anthony.”

His eagerness to “get to work” set him apart from his peers. In 2005, Anthony graduated Hillcrest High School several weeks ahead of schedule to help keep the family business going while his father, Mike, was being treated for cancer. In 2009, he convinced several of his business professors at Missouri State University to let him take finals early and forgo remaining classes for his Logistics degree in order to begin a job with Leggett and Platt amid an uncertain job market. That was where Anthony began his career in logistics information technology, a field in which he excelled until his untimely passing.

That career took him to Dallas, Texas, in 2013, where he began working for Eminent Group, a job that allowed him to travel extensively. This phase of his career as a Third-Party Logistics (3PL) consultant allowed him to peek behind the scenes of companies including Nabisco, Sony, Gallo Wines, and Steel and Pipe Supply. Anthony was always brimming with fascinating details of how these companies manufactured and distributed their products. He later convinced his company to let him move back to Springfield in 2016 and work from there so he could be closer to family. Anthony had a profound love for his family.

Anthony is survived by his mother Diana Fortner and her husband Jerry Bear of Springfield; brother Nathan and his wife Rachel (Kersting) and children Truman, Faye, Alice, Helen and Graham of Junction City, Kansas; brother Zach and his wife Jenn (Seifert) and children Sloane and Merrick of Springfield; uncle Chris Fortner and his wife Shaveen of Springfield; aunt Danna Fortner-Grear and her husband Tim of Fayetteville, Arkansas; uncle Glenn Bernet of Springfield; aunt Connie Bernet of Springfield; great-aunt Patricia Sims of Springfield; acting uncle (cousin extraordinaire), Mark Sims of Springfield; cousin Rob Bernet and his wife Lisa of Fair Grove, Missouri; cousin Julie Bernet of Kansas City, Missouri; cousin Susan (Bernet) Tolbert and her husband Todd of Springfield; cousin Molly Grear of Seattle, Washington; cousin Daniel Grear of Little Rock, Arkansas; and Anthony’s loyal dog Winnie. Anthony is preceded in death by his father Michael Fortner and aunt Lois Bernet.

A memorial service will be held at Central Assembly of God, 1301 N. Boonville, on Friday, January 19^th, at 4:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Mid-America Transplant Foundation 1110 Highlands Plaza Dr. East Suite #100, St. Louis, MO 63110. Their compassionate and tireless efforts helped our family navigate the complex world of organ donation. We are so grateful Anthony’s donation is currently aiding two recipients and potentially more to come in the near future.