James Louis Foster

James Louis Foster, 91, of Boise passed away Wednesday, April 13, 2011 at his eldest daughter's home after a courageous battle with cancer. A memorial service to honor and celebrate his life will be held at 11 a.m., Tuesday, April 19, at Kuna Church of the Nazarene. Jim will receive full military honors for his service to our country at 2 p.m., at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery in Boise.
Jim was born November 9, 1919, in Tulia, Texas, the youngest of nine children, to W. and Mattie Estelle Foster. All the kids worked on the farm and he rode a horse to school where he was one of 23 students, 1st – 7th grade. He graduated from Tulia High School. He then went to Texas A&M for 1 1/2 years, and then in 1941 he joined the Army Air Corp.
He met Mary Marshal Smith in 1946 while serving at McDill Air Force Base in Lakeland, Fla. They married Nov. 27, 1947, in Austin, Texas. In 1948 he was stationed at Biloxi, Miss., where their first child, James Donald, was born in 1949. He became inactive and went to Tampa, Fla., and opened Alamo Fried Chicken in 1950, which they operated for 1 1/2 years. He then put in for active duty and returned to McDill A.F.B. While there, Deborah Lynn and Cathleen Suzanne were born. The family then transferred to Okinawa, Japan.
He served in England and Italy during WWII, where he flew 56 combat missions in a B25 bomber. In 1958 the family transferred to Fairchild A.F.B, Spokane, Wash., where he flew a KC135 tanker aircraft to mid-air refuel B52 bombers. In 1965 he transferred to Moses Lake, Washington where he retired as a Major at Larson A.F.B. in 1966.
He joined his family in Pilot Rock, Ore., where he served as a law enforcement officer and school bus driver until his children graduated from high school.
In 1971 he returned to Tampa, Fla., to care for ailing in-laws for 6 – 8 months. He returned to Oregon and accepted a deputy sheriff's position in Pendleton and served from 1972 – 1976. In 1978 he and Mary started wintering in Apache Jct., Ariz. They returned to the Boise area in 1994.
He is survived by his son James Donald Foster, a daughter Deborah Lynn Crampton, a daughter and son in-law, Cathleen Suzanne and Robin Gibson; three grandchildren, Tina Salisbury and husband Steve; Jerry Foster and wife Julie; and Heather Carter; three great grandchildren Delaney Salisbury, Dax and Keaton Foster.
Jim was devoted to his family and his country.
A special thanks to his long time friend and navigator Henry Maine and wife, Marie.
Also special thanks to Heart -N- Home Hospice for their care and compassion. Jim called them, "His people".
In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations go to the Idaho Humane Society or the American Cancer Society.