John Foster, 74, Retired firefighter was the life of the party When John Foster laughed it was contagious. Genuine and uproarious, his belly-shaking chuckle transformed his shy demeanor and instantly made him the life of the party. He died on Monday after a brief illness. For the Foster family, all laughter has quietly ceased. Born and raised in Brooklyn, the son of Elinor and Frank, he met his wife, Sally (nee Elizabeth Gorman) at Tony's Ice Cream Parlor on Brooklyn's 8th Avenue. "It was love at first sight," Sally Foster said. "He was 17 and I was 15 but the moment I saw him I knew he was the one." Both John and Sally returned to that ice cream parlor every day at the same time in the hopes of seeing each other again. He proposed to her in his dress blue uniform before departing for a combat tour to Vietnam with the U.S. Marine Corps. The couple married upon his return in February of 1967. "My sister and brothers adopted him immediately as one of their own and that was no easy task," Mrs. Foster said of her 10 siblings who were widely known in their Park Slope neighborhood. "But John fit right in. They loved him. He became like another brother to them all." Called for employment with the FDNY in 1969, Mr. Foster proudly served the department as a firefighter for 28 years, assigned to Ladder Companies 107 and 131 and Rescue 5. Quiet, humble, hard-working and sincere, the Great Kills resident worked three jobs to provide for his family. Even after his retirement from the FDNY, he continued working as a Fire Safety Director until 2021. "I can still hear him singing the 'Rocky' anthem after he came home from working a 24," his daughter, Eileen Cappello recalled. "He worked two other jobs to make sure we had everything we needed and then would drive to his grandmother's house to stock her kitchen cabinets and have a cup of coffee with her. He genuinely had a heart of gold." Described as fun loving and honest, a man who never told a lie, Mr. Foster cared for his mother-in-law, parents, grandparents and younger brother, Robert, who was wheelchair bound. "Family was everything to him," his son, Brian Foster said. "He was the fun uncle, the fun brother. Everyone adored him." Mr. Foster had a great passion for ancestry, spending much of his time researching his family genealogy, compiling historical records and building detailed branches of the Foster/Gorman family tree. He also loved baseball and had a knack for memorizing team stats. He loved to sing and dance and together with his wife he happily hosted annual Christmas parties to which the entire neighborhood was welcome. His Sunday sauce was beloved in Rescue 5 and on the job he was well known for his quiet bravado. He received multiple class A and B recognitions for brave actions in the line of duty, yet he always felt that was what a fireman was meant to do. In addition to his wife of 54 years, Sally, son Brian and daughter, Eileen, Mr. Foster is survived by his daughters, Kathleen Albano, Elizabeth Keane and Carolyn Foster and 13 grandchildren. "He was an amazing and beloved husband, father and cherished Grandfather who had a very special bond with each and every one of us," Eileen concluded. "We will miss him terribly."
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Not a moment goes by where we don´t miss you.
Your Family
Family
September 12, 2023
Miss you Pop.
Love The Gang
The Foster Gang
Family
September 12, 2023
I miss you every day and every moment. Forever in my heart and soul.
Kathleen Albano
Family
September 12, 2023
Foster Girls - We Love you dad.
Kathleen Albano
Family
March 24, 2023
Foster-Frcek
Family
May 25, 2022
Foster-Frcek
Family
May 25, 2022
Foster-Frcek
Family
May 25, 2022
Foster-Frcek
Family
May 25, 2022
Foster-Frcek
Family
May 25, 2022
Foster-Frcek
Family
May 25, 2022
Foster-Frcek
Family
May 25, 2022
Foster-Frcek
Family
May 25, 2022
Foster-Frcek
Family
May 25, 2022
Foster-Frcek
Family
May 25, 2022
Foster-Frcek
Family
May 25, 2022
Foster-Frcek
Family
May 25, 2022
Foster-Frcek
Family
May 25, 2022
Foster-Frcek
Family
May 25, 2022
Foster-Frcek
Family
May 25, 2022
Foster-Frcek
Family
May 25, 2022
Foster-Frcek
Family
May 25, 2022
Foster-Frcek
Family
May 25, 2022
Foster-Frcek
Family
May 25, 2022
Our Pop
Foster-Frcek
Family
May 25, 2022
Fosters
Family
May 25, 2022
Fosters
Family
May 25, 2022
Fosters
Family
May 25, 2022
Fosters
Family
May 25, 2022
Fosters
Family
May 25, 2022
Fosters
Family
May 25, 2022
Fosters
Family
May 25, 2022
Fosters
Family
May 25, 2022
Fosters
Family
May 25, 2022
Fosters
Family
May 25, 2022
With Pop and Grandma
Fosters
Family
May 25, 2022
Kathleen
Family
May 25, 2022
Kathleen
Family
May 25, 2022
Kathleen
Family
May 25, 2022
Kathleen
Family
May 25, 2022
Kathleen
Family
May 25, 2022
Kathleen
Family
May 25, 2022
Our Family
Kathleen
Family
May 25, 2022
Forever missed FDNY
Rescue 5
Friend
May 25, 2022
Pop and Bobby
Frcek-Foster
Family
May 25, 2022
Love you Pop
Colin
Family
May 25, 2022
Fosters
Family
May 25, 2022
Fosters
Family
May 25, 2022
Fosters
Family
May 25, 2022
Fireman´s Farwell
Fosters
Family
May 25, 2022
Picture with Grandparents. Love you..
Bridget Confirmation
Family
May 25, 2022
Words cannot express my gratitude towards my two parents. Not a day goes by that I don´t miss you. Rest In Peace
Kathleen
Family
May 25, 2022
Always helping us.
Foster Grandkids
Family
May 25, 2022
Miss you and Love you.
Michael
Family
May 25, 2022
See you soon Pops.
We love you.
Have fun with the rest of our family.
Foster Family
Family
May 24, 2022
Our Dad and his final send off from FDNY
Fireman´s Family
Friend
May 24, 2022
Christmas with Pop and Grandma
Foster Party
Family
May 24, 2022
5 children
John and Elizabeth Foster
Kathleen
Family
May 24, 2022
Pop - Always with me in my
Alexis Foster
Family
May 24, 2022
1 Year without you has felt like forever. We miss you and love you.
Foster Family
Family
May 24, 2022
Robert (Bobby) Foster- The Best Friend and Brother of John Foster
The Foster Gang
Family
April 20, 2022
Grief can be so hard, but our special memories help us cope. Remembering you with your loved one today and always. Fun times with Pop.
Foster Party
Family
April 19, 2022
Thanks Pop for you and Grandma always caring and loving us. Live, Love, Laugh.
Love, Michael, Alexis, Victoria, Brianna, Elizabeth, Mallory, Kailey, Bridget, Christian, Vincent, Christopher, Aidan, & Colin
13 Foster Grandchildren
Family
April 12, 2022
Miss you Dad/Pop.
Brian Foster
February 6, 2022
Pops-Forever missed
Michael Orlando
February 5, 2022
Marine-Vietnam
Elizabeth Foster
January 22, 2022
Remember to always Live, Love and Laugh; Just like Pop
Foster Boys
January 22, 2022
Hanging with our Pop
Foster Girls
January 22, 2022
Love, Michael, Alexis and Victoria
A Fireman´s Grandchildren
January 22, 2022
Miss u Dad
Kathy
January 22, 2022
Box is the best present of all.
Foster Gang
January 22, 2022
Miss you pops
Elizabeth Albano
January 22, 2022
Love u Pops
The Gang
January 22, 2022
Love You Dad
Brian and Kathy with Mom and Dad
January 22, 2022
Johnny 50th Birthday Party
Gotmans
January 22, 2022
Foster kids
December 20, 2021
Foster kids
December 20, 2021
Foster kids
December 20, 2021
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December 20, 2021
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Foster kids
December 20, 2021
Foster kids
December 20, 2021
We love you Pops and Mom
Foster kids
December 20, 2021
Foster Gang
December 20, 2021
Foster Gang
December 20, 2021
Foster Gang
December 20, 2021
Foster Gang
December 20, 2021
Foster Gang
December 20, 2021
Foster Gang
December 20, 2021
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