Amelia Ortega Foster

Amelia Beatrice Ortega was born in Las Vegas, New Mexico on March 11, 1922. Amelia was the daughter of Pablo and Dolores Ortega and the seventh of eight children. She was a 1940 graduate of Las Vegas High School and attended Highlands University for two years.

Amelia was a career woman and wore many hats in her lifetime. She worked for the Farm Security Administration in New Mexico before moving with her family to San Diego, California. She was a teller for Bank of America until she found her dream job at Rees-Stealy Medical Clinic working for 28 doctors. There she was a Medical Interpreter for Spanish speaking patients, Supervisor of the Internal Medicine Floor, and finally a manager for many satellite offices which she opened for Rees-Stealy in the 70’s and 80’s. She was also an incredible and hard working volunteer. She was the PTO president for her daughters’ school at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart for two years. She started the Spanish Club there and helped chair the yearly Mexican Dinners on Our Lady of Guadalupe Day. She was a Camp Fire Girl leader and volunteered in her daughters’ activities as often as she could.

Amelia met her husband, William Marcus “Bill” Foster, on a blind date in 1953. They attended a SDG&E sponsored ball at the Hotel Del Coronado. Bill brought her a corsage on that first date, however she was wearing a strapless gown. Amelia, always resourceful, taped it on and off they went. It was love at first sight and six months later they were married on Thanksgiving Day, 1953. They moved into their little home in a new development in Fairmont Park and met many wonderful neighbors and lifelong friends. Soon after they started a family and had their daughters Annette and Theresa. They were married for 55 joy filled years when Bill passed in 2008.

After Bill passed Amelia started a new adventure and moved to Orange County to live in a senior resort with her sister-in-law Marie Ortega. There the two had many adventures and were great company for each other. When Marie passed away in 2013, Amelia decided to move to Los Angeles to be closer to Annette. She moved into Vintage now Encino Terrace Assisted Living where she made many new friends and was taken care of by the best of care givers.

She is survived by her daughters Annette Foster Ward (Kelly) and Theresa Collins (Terry). Her grandchildren Nik Ward, his wife, Mary and their daughter Marlowe; Matthew Ward, his wife Liz and their children Lucy and Kyle; Garrett Ward, Rebecca Hancock, as well as Terry’s children Bias and Alex and their children, and many loving nieces, nephews, and friends. She is predeceased by her parents Pablo and Dolores Ortega. Her sisters Juanita, Josephine, Pricilla, Amelia 1, and brothers Anthony, Carlos and James. We are sure she has been happily reunited with them in heaven.

Services will be held at her Parish of almost 40 years, St. Therese at noon on January 31, 2020. Reception will follow on site. Interment at Fort Rosecrans will be private.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the National Kidney Foundation at Kidney.org in her name.