Robert W. Foster
Captain, Supply Corps, U.S. Navy (Retired)

Robert W. Foster, 84, of Mount Dora, Florida, passed away on November 9, 2014. He was born on May 30, 1930, in Akron, Ohio, to Roy and Bessie Foster.
Bob grew up in Akron and graduated from Garfield High School in 1948. He attended The Ohio State University in Columbus, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism in 1952. He was the Managing Editor of The Ohio State Lantern and a member of the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC). Upon graduation, Bob was commissioned as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy and subsequently served 26 years as a Navy Supply Corps Officer. Bob earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Harvard Business School in 1962 and graduated from the Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island, in 1966. After retiring from the Navy in 1978 at the rank of Captain, he worked for Navy Federal Credit Union (NFCU). As the Mortgage Director, Bob established NFCU's mortgage-lending program. In 1985, he became NFCU's Senior Vice President for Operations, where he served until his retirement in 1994.
Bob married Carolyn on May 22, 1954, in Providence, Rhode Island. They were happily married for more than 60 years. Bob's Navy career gave them the opportunity to call many places home. Bob and Carolyn lived in Burke, Virginia, for 16 years before settling in Mount Dora in 1994. They spent many summers at their home at Bryce Resort in Basye, Virginia.
Bob was an active member of the Mount Dora community. Past Homeowners Association (HOA) Board President Jack Koester described Bob as "the single greatest contributor to the Country Club of Mount Dora (CCMD) in my memory." Bob served on the HOA Board of Directors from December 1998 to December 2000. As Chairman of the Community Development District (CDD) Board, he led the fight against subcontractors who installed a defective storm water system in the community; Bob's leadership and relentless efforts resulted in significant savings to the homeowners and were instrumental in dissolving the CDD. From 2011 until his death, Bob was Chair of the HOA's Document Review Committee, contributing thousands of hours to updating its 20-year-old governing documents. He was considered to be the leading expert in understanding the many HOA documents, and multiple HOA Boards have relied upon his expertise. In 1996, Bob co-founded The Happenings community newsletter, was a regular columnist, served as Editor, and stepped in as Acting Editor whenever the need arose. In the September 2014 issue, Bob prophetically wrote, "As far as I can see, this REALLY IS my last time around as Editor of Happenings."
Bob was an avid sports fan. He especially enjoyed watching the Ohio State Buckeyes football team but was happy to watch almost any good game of football, baseball, basketball, or golf. He also loved golfing with the "Riley Group" at the CCMD. Bob was an avid reader. He and Carolyn enjoyed traveling, whether it was to visit their children and grandchildren or cruising with friends.
Current CCMD HOA Board President Cal Rolfson described Bob as "intelligent, gracious to others and highly respected. He carried the authority of competence - the best kind. He was simply a good man! Few truly earn that title. In short, he was simply trusted."
Bob is survived by his loving wife, Carolyn; his six children: Karen Foster of Decatur, Georgia; Lisa Hodes (Michael) of Clermont, Florida; Nancy Councill (Richard) of Monkton, Maryland; Lori Turley (Craig) of Coronado, California; David Foster (Suzy) of Clifton, Virginia; and Beth Carrick (Bill) of Land O' Lakes, Florida; his grandchildren: Benjamin Hodes; Matthew, Christopher, and Timothy Councill; Brian and Megan Turley; Bailey and Nicholas Foster; and Jeremy, Joshua, and Lily Carrick; and his brothers: Bill (Phyllis) of Ramona, California; Larry (Diana) of Claremont, North Carolina; and Kenny of Akron, Ohio. Bob was preceded in death by his parents and his granddaughter, Jennifer Hodes.
A funeral Mass will be held Friday, November 21, 2014, 9 AM, at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 6803 Old Highway 441, Mount Dora, Florida. Inurnment will follow at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell at a later date.
Donations may be made in Bob's memory to:
Room to Breathe Foundation
215 Gould St.
Plymouth, PA 18651
This organization is a 501( c)(3) non-profit organization that provides financial help to families whose children must travel from home to receive medical care for lung-related surgery of the type Bob's granddaughter, Jenny, had numerous times throughout her life. Checks should be made out to the foundation and sent to the address above.
Or
Jenny Hodes Miracle Fund
First Green Bank
1391 Citrus Tower Blvd.
Clermont, FL 34711
Donations can be made at the Mount Dora Branch or mailed to the address above. The money donated to this fund will be used to set up a scholarship program at Florida Southern College to provide educational opportunities to students with special needs. This fund was established in memory of Bob's granddaughter, Jenny.