George Herbert Foster, Sr.

LEXINGTON – George H. Foster, Sr. met the God he served so faithfully on Monday, July 1, 2019. He died peacefully and was once again reunited with “the love of his life”, Georgia, whom he was married to for 64 years. His dear wife passed away two years ago.

He is survived by his family that includes four daughters, two sons, 13 grandchildren, 15 great- grandchildren with two more coming shortly.

George was born in Alexandria, Louisiana on April 5, 1932 to Harry and Lucille Foster and had six siblings. He received his Bachelor’s Degree from Incarnate Word College in San Antonio, Texas and a Master’s Degree in Marketing from Boston University. He began a career in Healthcare Public Relations and was commissioned into the United States Army as a 2nd Lieutenant; his first assignment was at Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston. He served in Seoul, Korea for thirteen months before serving as Public Relations Officer at Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. During his tenure at Walter Reed, he was privileged to serve as the key spokesperson for President Dwight David Eisenhower, reporting daily on his medical condition, and ultimately, on his passing. After serving at the 130th Station Hospital in Heidelberg, Germany for four years, he was stationed at, then retired from, Fort Gordon’s Eisenhower Medical Center in 1982.

After a short term at St. Joseph’s Hospital, he became the Director of Public Relations and Marketing at the Medical College of Georgia where he served until his retirement in 1997.

His dedication to the military was matched by his love of the church. In 1979 he became a permanent deacon and went on to lead the Office of the Permanent Diaconate for the Diocese of Savannah for 38 years! Over 90 deacons were ordained under his guidance. He also raised funds to start the St. Vincent de Paul Health Center that provides free health care to the homeless and people without health insurance.

In 2018, at the age of 86, St. Leo’s University of Tampa gave him an honorary Doctorate of Humanities for his life of service to family, military, God and community.

A Mass of Celebration will be held at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, July 17, 2019 at St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church in Grovetown, GA. Family will greet friends before and after the service. Burial will be at Ft. Jackson National Cemetery in Columbia, SC at 11:00 am on Thursday, July 18, 2019.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Columbia Fisher House which will be built on the campus of the Dorn VA Hospital. The military was dear to George, and this house will provide housing for veterans and their families when a long term illness is involved. Please go to www.fisherhousecolumbiasc.org to donate.

We know he is with his Lord who is saying, “Well done good and faithful servant!”