James Daniel Foster

James Daniel Foster, “Papa D” to his grandchildren and "Uncle Dan" to his many nieces and nephews, died on July 16, 2026. He passed peacefully at home in Richmond, Virginia surrounded by family after a nearly two-year battle with brain cancer.

Dan was born on August 20, 1957 in Bainbridge, Georgia, to James Houston and Martha Grae “Motsy” Foster. As a teenager he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout and the Scout Law was less a list he memorized than a blueprint he lived by for the rest of his life. He was trustworthy, the kind of man whose word was as good as a signed contract. He believed in service, and spent his whole life finding quiet ways to help people. He was cheerful under hardship, rarely one to complain even when things went sideways and he was endlessly thrifty and handy, always quick to fix something. That last one he came by honestly, he inherited the love of woodworking from his grandfather and spent a lifetime in the workshop as a result.

Dan followed in his father’s footsteps and attended Virginia Military Institute, graduating in 1979. He loved regaling his kids with stories of his time at VMI, where he thrived in the mix of discipline and misadventures that forge lifelong friendships. Dan was a proud Keydet, and always made sure to tease his kids that he had their names down on “the list” with VMI admissions from the day they were born, if they wanted. For better or worse, they did not take him up on the offer.

It was at VMI that Dan took his first concrete steps on the road toward becoming a physician. Upon graduating from VMI, he attended the Medical College of Virginia, where he graduated in 1983. The highlight of medical school was almost certainly meeting the love of his life, Patrice, and they married in 1982. After completing medical school and residency, Dan served in the Army as a physician until 1989.

For decades, Dan practiced as a family medicine doctor with Commonwealth Primary Care in the Richmond area, where he cared for thousands of patients over the course of his career. His patients consistently described not just Dan’s skill as a physician, but also his warmth, attentiveness, and care.

Together, Dan and Patrice built a life defined by faith, love, and deep friendship. They loved to travel together, wine tasting their way around the world, and making regular trips to Spain to see their son Andrew and his family.

Together they raised 3 children, Jackie, Andrew, and Megan, whom Dan parented with total joy. You could always find Dan behind the camera at piano recitals or sports games, capturing every moment. He relished being a grandfather to Nora, James, Madeline, Nellie, and Aubrey. He was famous among the kids in the family for being the first adult to jump into any game, any pool, any dance, the uncle who could always make a kid laugh and feel instantly at ease.

Dan was, by every account, the life of the party. He loved beach music, a good dance floor and a crowd of family and friends. His happiest place on earth was the beach with his people, specifically "circling the wagons" at sunset, pulling chairs into a circle, pouring a B&G and letting the stories, dancing, and laughter run long into the evening.

Faith was the quiet foundation underlying all of it. Dan was a longtime member of Third Church in Richmond, where he served throughout the years as a deacon and elder, leading small groups, and teaching Middle School girls’ Sunday School. His volunteer work at CrossOver Clinic and mission trips to Haiti had a profound impact on him. If you walked into his study in the early hours of the morning before the start of the work day, you would find Dan in Scripture study and quiet reflection. He lived his life with a profound sense of God’s goodness and grace, which grounded his deep love for his family and sourced his ability to find true joy in life.

Dan is survived by his wife Patrice, children Jackie (Justin), Andrew (Jess), and Megan (Jake); grandchildren Nora, James, Madeline, Nellie, and Aubrey and siblings Beverley (Michael) and Dean (Pam). He was preceded in death by his parents, James Houston and Martha Grae “Motsy” Foster.

A visitation will be held on Thursday, July 23 from 5pm to 7pm at Woody Funeral Home, 1771 N Parham Rd, Richmond, VA 23229. A funeral service will follow on Friday, July 24 at 1pm at Third Church, 600 Forest Ave, Henrico, VA 23229. A private burial will take place at Westhampton Memorial & Cremation Park.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to donate to CrossOver Healthcare Ministry, where Dan volunteered over the years: https://www.crossoverministry.org/

Dan is home now. And though we will miss him more than words can say, we take comfort in knowing this goodbye is not the end of the story.