Richard Foster of Milwaukee, Wisconsin | 1938 - 2024 | Obituary

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Richard Foster, a well-regarded journalist, passed away on April 17, 2024. He was 85.

Richard was born on October 16, 1938, in Chicago, Ill., to James and Mary (Sebat) Foster. He attended public schools in Evanston, Ill., and graduated from Lawrence College (now University) in 1963 with a B.A. in English literature. He interrupted his college education to serve in the United States Army from 1958 to 1961.

After college, Richard broke into journalism as a reporter for the City News Bureau, Chicago. He was subsequently a reporter, editorial writer, and member of the editorial board for the Chicago Sun-Times; editorial writer for the Des Moines Register and Tribune; and editorial writer for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, from which he retired in 2006. He specialized in coverage of the Arab-Israeli dispute, in particular the matter of Palestinian statehood.

He served as a journalist-in-residence at Colorado State University in the spring of 1982 and in 1976-77 was a fellow at Stanford University through the National Endowment of the Humanities Professional Journalism. His many professional affiliations included the National Press Club and the National Conference of Editorial Writers. His numerous awards included the 1st Award from the Wisconsin Newspaper Association in 2000 and being named as a noteworthy journalist by Marquis Cd.

Despite his accomplishments, Richard was exceedingly modest. Even though he had interviewed several U.S. presidents and such luminaries as The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., he never boasted. “He was very matter-of-fact about it,” said his son Arthur.

A voracious reader and accomplished pianist, Richard also loved immersing himself in new topics, such as, most recently, astrophysics. “He always jumped into the deep end,” said his daughter Kat.

Richard was preceded in death by his parents, older brothers James and John, and wife Susanne. He is survived by his children Kat and Arthur; his mother-in-law, Christa Hill; two sisters-in-law, Nancy Foster and Angela Hill; and two nephews, Mark and Timothy Foster.

Kat and Arthur fondly remember their dad’s many, mostly corny, “Richardisms”:  “Ah, young people. They’re our future, you know!”, “I’m cooking with Crisco!”, and when asked whether he had any questions about the subject at hand, “What’s the capital of North Dakota.”

He will be deeply missed.

Visitation will take place on Saturday, May 4, from 8:30 to 10:00 AM at Gesu Catholic Church, 1145 W Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, followed by a Mass honoring Richard’s life at 10:00 AM. Interment will be private for the family.