Ted Foster

Theodore (Ted) Baer Foster Ted was born in Harrisburg, PA, April 30, 1963, to parents Ron Foster and Grace Donnelly. Four years later, his brother Tommy was born. Teddy grew up playing sports: basketball, baseball, track & field, and football. He was close with his grandmother Edna Baer and grandfather Dempsey. When he was in 6th grade, his mother married Bob Donnelly and they moved to St. Charles, IL. His dad, Ron, worked hard to remain close to his sons, often driving 18 hours from Pennsylvania to Illinois to see the boys. After graduation from St. Charles High School, Ted went to University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. With an interest in architecture, he earned a B. S. in Civil Engineering. He was a proud member Alpha Delta Phi, Pi Theta chapter. He was a Resident Advisor and played club sports, and was close enough to St. Charles to visit his family often. After college, he chose a path where he could make large scale changes in policy and housing by earning a Masters in Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University. Ted returned to the East Coast to spend time with his father and his new wife, Nancy. Her sons, John and Jeff Thomas, joined the family, and Ted lived with John in a small apartment in Pittsburgh and frequently saw his dad. Ted interned with the Department of Energy in Harrisburg, PA in 1986. At a luncheon in June for state interns, he met his wife. Ted described seeing Natalie Wolf for the first time. She ran into the room, late of course, and sat down at the other end of the table, the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. He saved her a spot in the lunch line just to have a moment to talk to her and finally worked up the courage to ask her to dinner at the end of the day. They shared their first kiss on the 4th of July. For the rest of the summer, Ted drove Natalie to work every day. She was living with her grandmother, Angie Ackerman. Natalie’s pattern of lateness meant Ted and Angie ate breakfast together every day. Angie always said she fell in love with Ted before Nat did. When Natalie went to earn her Masters as the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, Ted visited every few weeks from Washington, DC, having begun a new job at Ginnie Mae, Government National Mortgage Association. He proposed and on June 17, 1989, they were married in Harrisburg, PA. They were married in Angie’s church. Teddy loved Nattie fiercely, then and now, and admired her very much. He always said he was a much better person because of her influence. They moved from apartment in DC to a small house on Mansfield Drive, Silver Spring, MD where their first child Emma Angeline was born Jan. 24, 1995. Sophia Mae was born July 22, 1997. Ted was absolutely born to be a dad. Thoughtful, moral, funny, responsible, generous, a good listener: his instincts for parenting were exceptional. They moved to another house in Silver Spring where Ted fixed up the house and built furniture, swing sets and tree houses. Becoming very involved in Christ Congregational Church affected Ted profoundly, and he took on leadership roles in the church’s branch of Habitat for Humanity. The last of the Foster five, William Joel, arrived Dec. 27, 2002. Natalie asked Ted to look for career opportunities elsewhere even if it meant leaving her job at the Barrie School. Wells Fargo reached out to him in 2008. When he accepted the position of Vice President of Capital Markets and Government Agency Relations, they relocated to Eden Prairie, MN. Ted was immediately involved in youth sports and coached Willie J through baseball, basketball, and football. The Fosters found a new faith community at Eden Prairie United Methodist Church. Ted was a consistent volunteer and went with Emma and Sophie on mission trips. Even after Emma and Sophia graduated and moved out of Eden Prairie, Ted stayed connected through early morning runs in Minneapolis and trips to Lincoln, NE, to cheer the Huskers. Ted never missed one of Will’s games or the opportunity to hear his family sing. Ted was incredibly active and a lifetime athlete and knew everything there was to know about sports at all levels: high school, college, and professional. A lifetime learner and ferocious reader, he was heavily interested in national and international politics. He loved travel, particularly family road trips, and the Fosters saw many states and sights together. He thrived on meeting and relating to others, never failing to make people feel welcome and comfortable. Ted had an unbelievable moral compass. He always did the right thing. He was an extraordinary man and his deep love shaped us all. He will be loved and missed every day and always.

Tributes

Ted Foster

April 30, 1963 - May 21, 2019

Tributes

Ted Foster

April 30, 1963 - May 21, 2019

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