Michael Stanley Foster

Michael Stanley Foster, aged 92, of Peterborough, Ontario, woke up and was welcomed home by Jesus early Easter Sunday morning, April 12th, 2020 at Peterborough Regional Health Centre.

Michael was born in Montego Bay to Stanley and Amy Foster, pioneers in the tourist industry in Jamaica, on March 2nd, 1928, the fifth of seven children: Phyllis, Helen, Elizabeth, John, Stuart and Alan. He was the last surviving sibling, recently predeceased by his sister Helen.

Michael had a deep love of learning, and when not helping his father with the Chatham Hotel, he enjoyed scuba diving, deep sea fishing, and archaeology. He moved to Toronto in 1947, and while working there attended Jarvis Street Baptist Church. Returning to Jamaica in 1954, he met Pamela (Binns) and they married on April 21st, 1956. Together they raised their growing number of boys while he served as pastor, College Dean, and Treasurer with the Assemblies of God.

Never one to sit still, after moving to Toronto in 1966 Michael launched a successful motion picture equipment business, Cinetek Audio Visual. He worked long hours, but their door was always open to friends who became family. During those years, they attended and were actively involved at Scarborough Gospel Temple.

In 1981 at age 53, he moved to Bancroft, Ontario, intending to retire on a hobby farm, but volunteered much time at both Natureland Bible Camp and his church. He was generous with his culinary, mechanical, and pastoral expertise, and loved the Word of God and teaching even the most challenging passages.

Michael was proud of his family and heritage in Jamaica and loved conversing on any topic with anyone he met. But what was most important to him was his relationship with Christ, whom he met at age 15 through a family friend, Stanley Karram.

Michael is survived and will be profoundly missed by his loving wife, Pamela, with whom he would have celebrated 64 years of marriage in just days; seven sons and daughters-in-law, Timothy (Marilyn), James (Sharon), Christopher (Karen), Jeremy (Janis), Jonathan (Karen), Robin, and Daniel (Ranette); sixteen grandchildren, Erin (Joshua) Seller, Lauren, Alan (Kathrin), Michael (Seana), Samantha (Grant), Chris (Sherry), Michael Livingston, Amy (Brandon) Coons, David (Alexandra), Sarah (Matthew) Brandsma, Bethany, Jonathan, Emily (Michael) Rutledge, Elizabeth (Jared) Moore, Josiah and Isaac; eight great-grandchildren, London, Piper, Alexa, Adeline, Boaz, Olivia, Weston and Charlie; and many brothers- and sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews.

A funeral service for immediate family and burial at Rosemount Memorial Gardens will be held this week, with a Celebration of Life to follow at a date to be determined.

The family thanks the health care professionals of PRHC, Saint Elizabeth Health Care and Nightingale Nursing for their care of Michael in his last two years, while he courageously struggled with health challenges. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Canada Institute of Linguistics at https://www.canil.ca/give/giving-options/give-now-where-needed-most/.