AS A YOUNG BOY, Gene Foster grew up in Forks, WA. He was the youngest of eight children and joined the U.S. Navy after graduating from Forks High School in 1944 as a sonarman on the USS Meredith, serving in the South Pacific and Atlantic.
GENE FOSTER, co-founder of ROCKSOLID Community Teen Center in Brush Prairie, was instrumental in helping to raise funds so the teen center could purchase a van to help transport students to the teen center after school.
The youngest of eight children, Gene Foster often had nothing to come home to after school as a young boy growing up in Forks, WA.
“They were so poor growing up and he (Gene) was the youngest of eight children, so he really often had nothing to come home to each day,” said Gene’s daughter Susanne Thomas. “That really stuck with him, he never forgot that.”
After moving to Battle Ground in 1971, Gene later became an active member of Bethel Lutheran Church in Brush Prairie. It was during his time with the church that he became co-founder of ROCKSOLID Community Teen Center, along with Kari Otos. ROCKSOLID is now located on the lower level of Bethel Lutheran Church.
“He saw space that was being wasted at the church,” Susanne said. “Dad was the kind of person that when he got something, an idea, in his head, he didn’t take ‘no’ for an answer and he got whatever the thing was done.”
“He wanted to give the kids a secure, safe place to go,” said Gene’s son Steve Foster.
Gene passed away surrounded by his children on Oct. 15, 2013, at the age of 87.
Gene was born Oct. 1, 1926, in Fairfax, WA, to Albert and Helen Foster. At the age of 11, he and his family moved to Forks. After graduating from Forks High School in 1944, Gene joined the U.S. Navy and was a sonarman on the USS Meredith, serving in the South Pacific and Atlantic.
After his time with the Navy, Gene returned to Forks and later married Elaine and they had five children. In 1971, the family moved to Battle Ground where Gene owned and operated an electrical contracting company, Red Bird Electric. Steve and Susanne said it was about 1959 when their dad went moved into an electrical career, after uncertainty arose in the logging industry. He retired around the age of 55 and he and Elaine began traveling quite a bit, even taking a year to travel around the U.S. in their motor home. They also traveled many times to Maui, one of their favorite places.
After helping to make ROCKSOLID Community Teen Center a reality in 2000-2001, Gene spent many of his days volunteering at the center and teaching the children how to play pool.
“He was there everyday at 8 in the morning and there until it closed at night,” Steve and Susanne said. “He loved to play pool with the kids. The kids really got to know him.”
Susanne said Gene wanted to help eventually move the teen center into its own building somewhere in town in Battle Ground, as it still operates in the lower level of Bethel Lutheran Church. He helped with numerous fundraising events, auctions, etc., and was also very generous with his own donations to the teen center, Susanne said.
“He volunteered there (ROCKSOLID) everyday until his health made it impossible to do so,” said Lori Lindberg, ROCKSOLID Board member. “Gene was a talented electrician and excellent with his carpentry skills. He loved to play pool with the teens and mentor them however he could. Everyone loved Gene.”
Susanne and Steven said their father was also a “master basket weaver,” interested in Indian weaves and Nantucket baskets. Gene taught himself how to weave baskets and would go out and find different trees to make his creations. All of his weaving stuff is being donated to the Chinook Indian Nation.
Gene spent the last seven years at Mallard Landing Assisted Living in Battle Ground, a place that Susanne and Steve said their father enjoyed. He made numerous friends and was involved in many activities at the facility, and he also enjoyed feeding the birds outside everyday and helping anyone who needed it.
A fond memory that both Steve and Susanne thought of involving their dad was one from their younger years living in Forks. Forks had one small movie theater that was only open Friday to Monday. Gene ran the projector and his children would often go watch the movies while he ran the projector.
“If the movie was scary or if we got sleepy or something, we would run up to the projection room and huddle with dad,” Susanne said.
Susanne and Steve also said their family went on lots of excursions when they were younger such as camping, water skiing, going to the beach and more.
Gene was preceded in death by wife, Elaine, in 2004, and grandson, Wesley S. Foster. He is survived by sons, Steve (LaDonna) Foster and Kevin Foster; and daughters, Randi Conerly of Vancouver, Wendy Humphreys of Vancouver and Susanne (Steve) of Battle Ground. Gene was also a grandfather to nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Services were held for Gene Oct. 27 at Bethel Lutheran Church. In lieu of flowers, Gene’s family ask that people make donations to ROCKSOLID Community Teen Center in his memory, P.O. Box 175, Brush Prairie, WA 98606.
