James Nicholas Foster

James Nicholas Foster, age 79 of Heath, Ohio passed away unexpectedly, but peacefully, on Tuesday, May 9, 2023.

He was born March 21, 1944 in Newark, Ohio to the late Karl E. and Sara E. (Halsey) Foster Jr.

Nick (known as Jim to his Newark/Granville family and friends) graduated from Granville High School in 1962.  He attended the U.S. Air Force Academy and then earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from The Ohio State University.  On October 9, 1971, he married his best friend, Margaret “Maggie” (Wharton) Foster in Hillsboro, Ohio.  Their son, Karl E “Sam” Foster III was born on December 15, 1973 in Newark, Ohio.  Nick worked most of his life as an Environmental Engineer for Owens Corning and later BHA.  The family of three made a number of work-related moves in their years together, living in several parts of Ohio, as well as Washington, Maryland, Wyoming, Alaska, New Mexico, Tennessee, and their longest stop in Kansas from 1989 to 2015. Nick spent countless hours driving millions of miles around the country going to job sites and projects during his working years.  Nick and Maggie moved back to Ohio settling in Heath in the summer of 2015 prior to Maggie’s untimely death on July 20, 2016.  Nick and Maggie were avid Buckeye fans who enjoyed attending Ohio State football games, and even a handful of bowl games.  They loved to antique together and accumulated a treasured collection of Heisey glass.  Nick was a fantastic cook who loved creating and tweaking recipes to share with his family and friends.  He never passed up a chance to cook for a group of people and would make enough to feed 20 even if it was just the two of you.  He was a history buff, a voluminous reader, he enjoyed word-play, clever jokes and telling stories about family, friends and his many life adventures.  There was no such thing as a short story or a quick conversation with Nick, a trait treasured (mostly) by his family and friends. If you asked him what time it was, he was likely to tell you how to build a watch.  Nick was very proud of the Foster family history in the Granville area, including the farm that was homesteaded by the Foster family. If you were driving around Union Township with him in the car, he could (and would) tell a story about every farmhouse and building you passed…and you were likely to get a vivid tale about the people who lived there.  Nick cherished his involvement with the Masonic Lodge and was a member of both Hebron, OH #116 and Shawnee, KS #54, he served as Worshipful Master of both lodges.  Nick and Maggie were especially proud of their three grandsons.  Nick was able to spend time with each of them and enjoyed attending some of their special events prior to his death. 

“A journey of 1000 miles begins with but a single mouthful of elephant” – Nick Foster

Nick (Jim) is survived by his son, Sam Foster, his daughter-in-law, Dr. Jessica Arnold Foster, grandsons, Jackson Nicholas, Karl Evan and Maxwell Kircher, all of Hudson, OH and his sister, Betsy (Gibson) Foster (m. Terry Gibson) of Summerville, SC.

A gathering of family and friends will be held from 11 AM to 1 PM Friday May 19, 2023 at McPeek Hoekstra Hoskinson Funeral Home, 133 S. Prospect Street, Granville, Ohio 43023 where a memorial service will begin at 1 PM Friday.  A burial service will be held following the memorial service at Maple Grove Cemetery, Granville, Ohio.  Family and friends are also welcome to a reception to be held at the Cherry Valley Hotel, 2299 Cherry Valley Rd SE, Newark, Ohio 43055 following the graveside service.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center, Case Western Reserve University, 2085 Adelbert Road, Room 419, Cleveland, OH 44106.  Checks should be made out to NPDPSC Donations can also be submitted electronically by visiting the secure donations page on their website.  The NPDPSC can be contacted at (216)368-0587 or cjdsurveillance@uhhospitals.org

McPeek Hoekstra Hoskinson Funeral Home is honored to care for Nick and his family.

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