Mike Foster

Surrounded by his family, Mike Foster passed away peacefully, after a brief illness, on June 16, 2008 at Dominican Hospital. He was 53 years old.

Throughout his life, Mike made friends easily and always took an interest in their wellbeing. His family is grateful to Mike for his loving devotion to the needs of his parents, especially his mother during her long illness. Those that knew Mike could expect any conversation with him to be suffused with optimism, coupled with wry and amusing observations of current goings on. He was definitely fun to talk to. To quote one friend, "Mike was a good guy to have on speed dial".

A 1973 graduate of Santa Cruz High, Mike was on the swim and tennis teams and by his senior year was on a first name basis with the school's administrators. Mike's younger brother became accustomed to giving monthly updates to teachers and administrators who were all interested in knowing how Mike was doing long after he had graduated.

One thing defined Mike's personal and professional life: his love of cars. Family members recall finding five-year-old Mike in the garage staring at his parent's new station wagon, repeating "Isn't it beautiful?" His parents were baffled at how much better Mike could read Road and Track and Motor Trend magazines than he could read his school textbooks.

By age 16, Mike was working at Prolo Chevrolet. His product knowledge was impeccable. Mike was very proud of his first car. While he was working at Prolo, Mike painstakingly ordered, then helped pay for, a 1974 Vega Station Wagon: white with tan interior, the most practical combination, in his opinion. At Chico State, Mike was the student representative to King Chevrolet, where he worked and thrived. His career path was set.

Leadership came naturally to Mike. He was president and a stalwart alumnus of the Iota Kappa Chapter of Sigma Nu at Chico State University, where he graduated with a degree in finance. He served in many other leadership roles in his life including President of the Rotary Club of Jackson, California.

Family and friends were first and foremost in Mike's life, but he had many other loves as well: skiing in the Sierra, boating on the Delta, airplanes, motor boats, Fox News, cooking, gardening, any car magazine, home improvement projects of all kinds, dining at Hollins House and the dogs he had over the years.

Mike is survived by his father, Ted Foster; brothers and sisters-in- law Jim and Randi Foster, Don and April Foster, and Tom and Brook Foster, all of Santa Cruz; nieces Kristin Landwehr and her husband, John, of Austin, Texas and Katie Foster of San Francisco; nephews Craig Foster, Jake Foster and Brett Foster. Mike is also survived by many, many close friends, too numerous to mention. His mother, Edie Foster, preceded him in death.

A Celebration of Mike's Life will be held on Thursday June 26th, 2008, 2:00p.m. Hollins House, 20 Clubhouse Rd in Pasatiempo Santa Cruz, CA 95060.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Santa Cruz Memorial-Mission Chapel.

Contributions are preferred to The Dominican Hospital Foundation, 1555 Soquel Drive, Santa Cruz, CA 95065