Barbara Foster

September 5, 1932 - November 23, 2019

Barbara (Carey) Foster, 87, of Traverse City passed away November 23, 2019 at her home. She was born on September 5, 1932 to Walter H. and Lucy (Trenham) Carey in Syracuse, New York. After high school graduation, Barbara attended nurse’s training at Millard Fillmore School of Nursing. While she was there she met her husband-to-be, Rob Foster. They married on December 19, 1953. Barbara worked as a nurse until their first daughter was born. She then retired from nursing to raise their four children. The family moved to Orchard Lake, Michigan where they raised their kids. During those years she spent time doing community outreach and volunteering, including a stint with the Junior League. She was also an early proponent of recycling and water quality monitoring. After her children left home, she returned to work as a nurse and an intervention specialist at Henry Ford Maplegrove Center, an addiction treatment center in West Bloomfield. In 1997, she moved to Traverse City to be closer to family. Barbara was a charismatic woman who lit up a room when she walked in. She never met a stranger and if you couldn’t find her, all you had to do was listen for her laugh. An avid gardener, she had a green thumb and always had a house full of plants. Barbara was an ardent tennis player and after she retired from the tennis court, she loved to root for Roger Federer from her armchair. She was a fierce competitor. Barbara excelled at Scrabble, loved to play just about any card or board game, and was a puzzle maven. She looked forward to Tuesday night cards with her friends at Cordia, where she called home for the past five years. She appreciated the arts in all its dimensions and loved all kinds of music, the Beatles were one of her favorites. Barbara was a devoted mom and grandmother and she will be greatly missed by her children Kathryn “K.C.” of Boynton Beach, William (Marcie) of Knoxville, Tennessee, Julie (George) of Negaunee, and Sam (Cymbre) of Traverse City; her grand girls, Anna, Mikaela, Eliza, Savannah, Chloe, and Ellie; brother David and numerous loving nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents and brother Walter Carey. Visitation will be Wednesday, November 27 from 5-7 p.m. at Reynolds -Jonkhoff Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 305 Sixth St., Traverse City. Funeral services will be Friday, November 29 at 11 a.m., with visitation starting at 10 a.m. at Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home and Cremation Services with Catherine Turnbull officiating. The family wishes to express a special thank you to the staff at Cordia who could not have been more welcoming and supportive. There will be a celebration of life in the spring of 2020. Please feel free to share your thoughts and memories with Barbara’s family at her tribute page at www.reynolds-jonkhoff.com Memorials or donations may be made to the charity of your choice.