Rev. Richard L. Foster

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Pastor Richard Foster died on Monday, September 10, 2018, in Sioux Falls and will be remembered at a Service of Holy Communion beginning at 10:30 AM Friday, September 14, 2018, at East Side Lutheran Church, 1300 E 10 ^th St, Sioux Falls. Memorial visitation will be from 5-7:00 PM Thursday, at the Minnehaha Funeral Home, Baltic.

Richard Lawrie Foster was born on August 28, 1941 to Donald and Lenore (Smemoe) Foster of Buffalo Trading Post, rural Colton, South Dakota. He attended country school and graduated from Franklin High School in 1959. He graduated from Augustana College in 1963 and Luther Theological Seminary in 1967. Richard was ordained in 1967 and served parishes in Los Angeles, Western North Dakota, St. Anthony Park Lutheran Church, St. Paul, Minnesota, Berlin, Germany, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Trinity Lutheran Church, New York City, and served as the Episcopal Lutheran Chaplain at Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, and served interims in Vancouver, British Columbia, Zion Lutheran Church, Garretson, South Dakota, Bethany Lutheran Church, Hurley, South Dakota, Grace Lutheran Church, Parker, South Dakota, and Zion Lutheran Church, rural Hartford, South Dakota. Richard also served as pulpit supply for many area churches.

Pastor Foster wrote Confirmation Curriculum for the Lutheran Church, served on the Adolescent Health Care Board on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and was the founding director of the Upper Room Ministry, serving people living with AIDS during his 14 years of ministry in that city. Under his leadership, the Creative Learning Center was also founded, providing arts and crafts, nutrition, creative dramatics, music, and one-on-one tutoring for the children of the Frederick Douglas Homes of Manhattan.

He leaves a host of beloved parishioners and a loving sister, Marcia (Arlen “Woody”) Gnadt, Garretson, and their children Markell (Julie) Gnadt, Aaron Gnadt, and Marissa (Tim) Wollmann; older brother, Dr. Faryl (Marian) Foster, Columbus, OH, and their children, Dr. Jill Foster-Hofer, and Kevin Foster; sister-in-law, Susan Foster, Madison, and her children: Dan (Kathryn) Foster, Jeff (Kristen) Lamberty, Cindy Lamberty and Michelle Lamberty; special cousin, Rocky Foster; and many great and great great nieces and nephews and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers, Judson and Donald Foster, and an infant sister, Rosalie Jill Foster.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the South Dakota Synod of the ELCA’s Seminary Debt Reduction Fund.