Donald R. Foster

1935 - 2022

We lost one of the truly great human beings and gentlemen of our era when Donald R. Foster passed away in July of this year. He heroically battled a difficult illness with his characteristic courage and grace. He had a tremendous sense of humor and was a notorious prankster. He took a solo trip to Yosemite every year in a spiritual journey to honor and breathe in nature, which was supremely gratifying to him. Nevertheless, with peace and gratitude, but not without significant resistance, he died with his beloved wife Barbara in the home that he and they adored in Point Loma. In the end, no matter the result, Don never gave up.
In so many ways, Don was Mr. San Diego, a city he so dearly loved. Born to Myrtle and Monroe Foster at historic Quintard Hospital, Don attended Alice Birney Elementary, Dana Junior and Point Loma High schools, where he excelled at everything and made numerous life-long friends. The man had the beat and could carry a tune. At a very young age, Don was proud to play first clarinet in the Bonham Brothers Boys Band # 7, which gave him the thrilling opportunity to participate in 3 Rose Parades, leading the San Diego float with great pride. Don would joyfully recount that this experience instilled a great discipline in his young life and reinforced his natural inclination toward good citizenship. Don also sang in the junior choir at the Christian Church in Hillcrest, a role he relished.
Don was a runner, and run he did. Starting with track at Point Loma High in 1953, he ran the fastest half-mile in the city. This did not distract him from also lettering in tennis. He went to the University of California at Berkeley (CAL) where he lettered in cross country and track and field. CAL and running would loom large in his life, and appropriately so.
In 1958, with great and understandable pride, Don won a pivotal cross country meet against CAL's arch athletic rival, Stanford, winning the race in a new course record time and leading CAL to a glorious victory over Stanford, and doing it on the Stanford campus. And so began a lifetime of running countless 10Ks and half-marathons with great joy. In addition to his heroics against Stanford, Don was on the Cross-Country team that defeated the championship USC squad. Quite an accomplishment at the time.
In addition to his accomplishments, Don was always there to cheer on his teammates, providing positive enthusiasm to the team. Earning his first varsity letter in 1958, this marked the beginning of his lifelong membership in the Big C Society, the letter winners' organization of CAL Athletics and its varsity alumni network. Don's name is immortalized at Edwards Stadium on a commemorative plaque in one of its lanes.
Don majored in finance at CAL, and was a member of Sigma Chi. He enrolled in the Air Force ROTC, serving 3 years from 1958 to 1961, and in the reserves until 1968 in the role of Captain. Thereafter, he received numerous post-graduate certificates from Wharton, Stanford, Harvard and the University of Chicago. He was a life-long learner, and this translated into his tremendous success in business, and in life.
As do many of CAL's student athletes, Don continued to practice the sensibilities that he developed on the track throughout his life, giving him an edge in his post-sports work where he experienced remarkable success in the field of Municipal Bonds and Stocks. Don was an absolute rock star. His memberships, awards, accolades and honors too many to list, but a few highlights to remind: Don served as President of Financial Analysts Society of San Diego (1974-75), a member of the California Society of Municipal Analysts and San Francisco Municipal Bond Forum among others. He was a Vice President of San Diego Securities, specializing in municipal bonds, managed accounts and corporate finance. He was a Vice President of Smith Barney, Harris Upham and Co., and associate manager/institutional sales rep with duPont Glore Forgan (DuPont-Walston & Co.) But what he really wanted to do was start his own securities firm, Foster Securities. There, he and his business flourished, and he enjoyed tremendous personal and business success on behalf of his family and clients. This indeed was his crowning business achievement.
Perhaps what gave Don as much pleasure as his business success, after his family, was his commission from Neil Morgan of the San Diego Union to do travel stories from around the world. He was especially proud of the Poland trip edition which made print and was syndicated around the country.
Don derived tremendous joy from supporting causes that were meaningful to him, and which needed his support. This translated into generous support for, among other causes, his beloved Yosemite National Park, together with a wide array of CAL athletic teams and initiatives. As articulated by Brian Raney of the CAL Athletics Development Fund, who worked with Don for over a decade, "Don always asked where support was needed most, and he focused there."
According to Joe Ruef of the Big C Society, "In addition to being the largest single supporter of the Big C Society and a prolific contributor to Track and Field, (Don never missed a Brutus Hamilton – his coach - track meet for over 30 years), and the CAL Athletics Fund, Don and his wife Barbara also contributed generously to a variety of other sports, HAAS Business School, and additional projects, one in which their names are noted with distinction on the donor wall. Emblematic of his penchant for action, Don also came up with the idea for and funded a special commemoration ceremony for CAL's legendary track star, Eddie Hart, even though the two had never met in person. Don's twinkle of positive energy wound its way throughout CAL quietly, importantly and without need for thanks."
Don made, collected and cultivated many wonderful friends. With his great humor, love of life and innate humility, he had an uncanny knack for putting people together and at ease, especially at a sporting event. His friend and former CAL Bear, Don Bowden (the first American to break a four-minute mile) tells the story of Don's special talents revolving around the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Don Bowden recalls, "I had decided to go to these Olympics with mutual friends and somehow Don found out that I was looking for tickets for the track and field events. He gave me the tickets and we met each day at the seats and would have a quick visit. Don would then leave shortly thereafter saying he was going to walk around the stadium. The next day and in the days following, he would quietly tell me stories about how he enjoyed the VIP section or met the parents of one of the prominent U.S. Athletes or a coach. Without knowing a soul prior to arriving in Sydney, he visualized the Olympics as his personal opportunity to make new friends and enjoy the Olympic adventure." This was Don's quintessential attitude and approach to life and all celebratory events, athletic or otherwise, spontaneous and rarely planned, which he always attended with great enthusiasm.
The number of friends on his perennial mailing list for lavish and modest gifts, trinkets, mementoes, personal hand-written notes, kudos, stock tips and other communications was frightening to behold. There was nothing like an 8 x 11 Foster Securities envelope brimming with goodies, stuffing your mailbox. Don's kindness to others was the foundation on which many of his friendships were built. He toddled around San Diego with $50 bills, handing them out to any and every needy person that demonstrated resourcefulness, whether cleaning up the streets or collecting aluminum cans. He was extraordinarily kind and generous, to a level we are unlikely to see again.
As Don cruises off into a San Diego sunset in his 1967 Porsche so proudly featured in the first Top Gun movie, please know that he is adored by his beloved wife Barbara, and his daughter Melanie, of whom he was very proud. He was crushingly predeceased by his daughter Mindy, who together with Barbara and Melanie, was always, always in his heart. He is also survived by his sister Joan Nugent, nephew Peter Nugent and his wife Karen, niece Lee Hall, and stepson Mark Greco and wife Jilla. Don had so many friends that adored him, and he them.
Don will be deeply missed by his many friends and family. A joyous Celebration of Life is in the works, one we know that Don would approve of and enjoy.
As noted here, Don was an enthusiastic philanthropist to a variety of causes. Friends wishing to make contributions in his memory may do so as they are inspired by his life and passions. In lieu of or in addition to that, take a hike in Yosemite and channel nature, and our beloved Don, or simply cheer, Go Bears!