Richard Allan Foster

Richard Allan Foster was born on December 4, 1943 in Belvidere, IL to Dorothy and Galen Foster. With determination and a knack for knowing how to make everything work better, he pursued his engineering degree at Bradley University which he used to build a successful business that served communities throughout Illinois for decades. He found and married his soulmate, Susan née Hogan 53 years ago this month. They made a life together in Elmhurst, Illinois where they raised 3 beautiful children, 2 daughters and a son. While Rich will be remembered for many things by the people that knew and loved him, his true legacy is the depth of his kindness and the strength of his character. He was honest to his core and incredibly hard-working but he also met every person and every moment with a smile and a twinkle in his eye that always revealed the joy in his heart and the beauty of his spirit. He could embrace the rigors of being an avid outdoorsman as effortlessly as he could fall into the tenderness of being a Grandfather, playing on the floor with small children or soothing a crying baby. He embraced life to the fullest and enjoyed downhill skiing, fly fishing, golfing and hunting. He was a man who loved deeply and invested in the relationships that were important to him. His children and grandchildren never had to look far to feel his unconditional support for all their pursuits as he rooted them on from the sidelines, the bleachers or the auditorium seats. While he leaves behind so many incredible memories that have helped shape those that love him the most, perhaps what is most bittersweet is the sense that we are all saying goodbye to a man who was unlike any other and we may never come across again. Rich represented a certain ethos of decency, authenticity and kindness that has become exceedingly rare but will hopefully endure as all those that knew him strive to be a bit more like him. There are some people that always show us what it means to be the “better angels inside us.” Rich showed us all how to do that until the moment he took his last breath on October 6, 2023 in much the same way he entered this world, surrounded by love and hopefully certain in the knowledge that he had “fought the good fight, he had finished the race, he had kept the faith.” Rich is survived by his beloved wife Susan, his daughters Jennifer (Thomas) Hughes and Erin Foster; and his son Timothy (Laura) Foster. He was the cherished Papa of Gavin, Quinlan, Aoife, Fiona, Will, James, Teagan, Cara and George and the dear brother of Robert (Pat) and the late Ronald (Mary) Foster. Services to commemorate his life: Visitation will be held at Gibbons Funeral Home at 134 South York Road in Elmhurst, IL on Tuesday, October 10th beginning at 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be Wednesday, October 11, at 10:00 a.m. at Visitation Catholic Church. Interment will be Private at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Kidney Fund, 11921 Rockville Pike, Suite 300, Rockville, MD 20852 or St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis TN 38105. For funeral information please call 630-832-0018 or www.gibbonsfuneralhome.com