Jerry D. Foster died peacefully on October 21, 2018 at Sunrise Senior Living, Richmond, Virginia, after a valiant fight with Parkinson’s Disease and its many side effects. He was 73. He was born on November 29, 1944, in Florence, Alabama where he graduated from Coffee High School in 1962. In 1966, he graduated from University of North Alabama, Florence, with majors in Biology and Military Science. He was commissioned into the U.S. Army on August 14, 1966 as an Armor Officer. He served two combat tours of duty in Vietnam as an Attack Helicopter Pilot, from January 1968 to January 1969 and a second tour from September 1971 to March 1973. He was a Senior Army Aviator and his service was recognized by his receipt of two Bronze Star Medals, a Purple Heart, six Meritorious Service Medals, 35 Air Medals, three Army Commendation Medals, and others for his service. Following Vietnam, he served two tours in Germany, two tours in the Pentagon, a year in Sinop, Turkey and one year in Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands, South Pacific. He retired in August 1992 as a Lieutenant Colonel, having served our country for 26 years. He then was employed by Synoptics, Inc. a Fort Lee, Virginia contractor. In August 1999, he was employed by the Federal Civil Service and worked with the U.S. Navy as a Program Manager at Pax River, Maryland and retired in November 2010. He enjoyed being with family and friends, flower gardening and anything related to “cars”: repairing, maintaining, viewing, and perusing car magazines.
He is preceded in death by his father, James Henry Foster Sr. He is survived by his loving wife of 25 years, Sharon Barkley Foster; his mother, Pauline Swinford Foster; his brother James and sister-in-law, Glenda; his daughters, Amy Clabough (Robert), Ashley Foster, Lesley Foster (Scott Storey) and stepchildren, John Simko (Cathy) and Leslie Currle (Jonathan); and nine grandchildren, Madeline, Kelly, Phillip, Jack, Katalin, Allison, Michael, Lucy and Finn.
A Memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 3 at 11 a.m. at the West Chapel of Bennett Funeral Home, 11020 W. Broad St., Glen Allen, VA with a reception to follow. Future interment will be in Arlington National Cemetery.
