James William "Coach" Foster Sr.

James William (Coach) Foster Sr., 96 passed away peacefully on May 10, 2025, in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was born in Poughkeepsie, New York on April 5, 1929, to Thomas B. Foster Sr. and Elizabeth (Bessie) Irene Foster, who are both deceased.

He was a 1948 graduate of Poughkeepsie High School and received a bachelor’s degree and NYS Teaching Certificate from SUNY New Paltz. It was there that he met his loving wife of 42 years, Joan Fitzpatrick Foster who preceded him.

He is survived by their children, Debra Foster Collier (William), James William Foster Jr, (Margaret) and Mary Foster Johnson. He has eight loving grandchildren: Andrew Johnson (Nicole), Shannon Johnson, Caroline Johnson, Ryan Collier (Eva), Megan Collier, Emily Foster Goss (Porter), Molly Foster and Katie Foster. He is also survived by three great grandchildren: Keegan Johnson, William James Collier and Saoirse Joan Collier.

“Coach” taught secondary education in Poughkeepsie City Schools for over three decades. Some of his greatest moments were both inside and outside of the classroom. He coached junior high baseball, refereed, bartended, and managed the Poughkeepsie City playgrounds in the summer. As the Freshman and Assistant Varsity Basketball Coach at Marist College, Poughkeepsie, New York, he helped to build a new program that has blossomed into a NCAA Division I institution.

Coach and his wife Joan retired to Charlotte in 1985. Soon after, he helped establish the CPCC Men’s Basketball Team. He took great joy in coaching alongside his son Jim who was the assistant coach. Coach Foster also coached men’s golf and women’s volleyball. He continued to coach until he and his son opened the Selwyn Pub in 1990.

In 2013, Governor Pat McCrory awarded him the North Carolina Order of The Long Leaf Pine. He was proud to be a lifelong member of the Knights of Columbus and The Elks.

The Coach loved spinning yarns of his many escapades with his family and friends. One of his many joys was when he owned racehorses at Saratoga Harness Track in New York. He had many trips back to the “homeland” in Ireland and thoroughly enjoyed a good pint of Guinness.

Please remember our Coach with a smile and raise a glass in his memory. Slainte!

Our family would like to thank VIA Health Partners for their expert care and kindness in Coach’s final days.

Memorial donations may be sent to VIA Health Partners ( www.viagiving.org).

Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, May 19, 2025, at 10:30am at St. Vincent de Paul Church located at 6828 Old Reid Road in Charlotte. Burial will be private.

A reception will be held at Selwyn Pub located at 2801 Selwyn Avenue in Charlotte from 3-5pm on Monday, May 19, 2025. Attire for the reception will be casual as that is how Coach would want it.