I'm blessed to have had many uncles in my day. Seven that I can remember and all of them had a profound impact on my life and my character. None had more impact than Dave Foster. I have certainly spent more time with Dave than all of other combined. I was fortunate to spend time staying at his house almost every year of my life for over 20 years. Dave loved life and he especially loved all of the gifts that living brought him. I felt the best way to pay tribute to him was to just wander through the fabric of life he weaved so carefully.
Dave loved family. He loved his children, both by blood and by marriage. He loved each of his grandchildren, and all of his nieces and nephews. He almost never missed a cross country meet, a soccer game, a swim meet, a football game, or any event where his kids or his grand kids were participating. He could give you an up to the minute report of each of the kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews. He was an walking encyclopedia of all things Foster, Salen, Thompson, Garnow, Tann, Alcorn and any other branch of the family. He had the gift of making every member of his family feel like the most important and most loved member.
Dave loved his wife Peggy. Oh you might question this as they argued constantly. But at the end of the day he would climb into his full size bed with Peggy and put the days disagreements behind him. He was devoted to Peggy and spent the good part of 50 years demonstrating that devotion.
Dave loved golf. He played almost everyday when the weather permitted. He was competitive and expected to win every match. I never beat him. Not once. Only one time did I come close. We would find courses all over New York, Pennsylvania and even Ohio. The times on the course were some of the best times in my life. I don't recall him ever hitting a bad shot. Consistent is an understatement. I learned a lot about managing my game and my life too spending a few hours hitting the round ball with Dave.
Speaking of golf, Dave loved to hunt for golf balls. Whether on his own, or when we were playing. He would search the tall grass, the edge of the pond, the branches of the trees. I expect he collected 10,000 or more balls in his life. He would bring them home, carefully clean and sort them and then hand out an egg container full of your favorite brand. I can't imagine I will ever lose all the balls he has given me in my life. I still have several egg cartons!
Dave loved fresh fruit. He would slice whatever was in season and serve it with breakfast or lunch every day. He knew what the farmer's market had gotten this week along with the grocery store. He also knew exactly when he could go to the orchards and pick his share of peaches, apples, plums not to mention heading to the vineyards for fresh grapes.
Dave loved grilled cheese sandwiches. No one made grilled cheese like Dave. I don't know what he did to make them better. Afterall it's not a complicated recipe. But somehow his were better. And he would heat up some Campbells tomato soup, slice some fruit and you would have the perfect lunch.
Dave loved to pick berries too. My grandmother lived on a farm. She had the best raspberry and blackberries you would ever want to taste. Dave would pick baskets full and bring them home for jellies and jams. When it was time to sell grandma's house Dave transplanted some of those bushes in into his own back yard so he was guaranteed to still have berries.
Dave also love rhubarb and he kept a rhubarb patch in his yard as well. He made the best rhubarb pie, again I wish I had the recipe. He would make a pie when I visited. The standing family joke was if someone who was a guest said "I don't like rhubarb pie" we would chime in and say..."good, that means more for us."
Dave loved Klondike bars and Banana Cream Pie Ice Cream. He kept a secret stash in the basement freezer as Peggy forbid him to have it. We won't tell!
Dave loved to take care of his yard. He planted annuals and perennials, trimmed the trees and bushes, mulched the flower beds and rode his lawnmower like it was a prime Ferrari. The neighbors were all jealous of just how beautiful his home was. I nicknamed him "Pedro", his landscape alter ego.
Dave loved his church. He served selflessly, standing in as an usher even when it wasn't his turn. He always had stories to tell about the pastor, the members and the programs of the church. His faith was deeply rooted, so much so that I'm certain that St. Peter has him sprucing up the gardens at the Pearly Gates.
Dave loved Erie and North East PA. He would lead a guided tour each time I visited, sharing the latest buildings, restaurants, water front amenities, etc. He especially loved North East PA. He respected the downtown like it was Times Square and treated it as such.
Dave loved sports. Professional, high school, little league. He was an expert on virtually every team in nearly every sport. He had a special knack for remembering odd statistics and could talk intelligently on everything.
Dave loved his dog Chewy, and almost every dog he ever met. He loved his walks with the dog and loved having him sit on his lap as he petted him to sleep.
You see, Dave loved life. He was an example for all of us to remember to "Make Every DAY Matter." I hope you can see I very much loved Dave Foster as well. I'll think of you every time I tee it up on the first tee. Every time I slice into a fresh peach, every time I sneak a Klondike bar, every time I eat a slice or two of rhubarb pie, every time I plant flowers in my garden and every time I'm blessed to spend time with your family. I'll miss you Dave...and I'm not giving up on beating you on the links.
