Sharon Foster

Sharon K. Foster, 69, enlivened this world and the lives of all who knew her as a loving wife, sister, aunt and friend until her very last moments, when she passed peacefully in her home in Eugene, Ore., on July 27, 2022, after a hard-fought back-and-forth with cancer. She is gone too soon. "Say something nice about me," she instructed in anticipation of this obituary. "Lie if you have to." Lying will not be necessary. Born July 28, 1952, in Waynesville, North Carolina, the second child of an entrepreneurial German immigrant and a true Newfoundlander, she spent her childhood as the mischievous sister, riding horses, dancing ballet, marching as mini-majorettes, taking wild, barefoot rides on her bicycle and crashing occasionally. Her love for travel took hold early in life after moving to Puerto Rico and Jamaica with the family while her father, Curt E. Kaufman, was establishing new shoe manufacturing plants for the family business, Wellco. The family returned to Waynesville, where Sharon graduated as a Tuscola High School Mountaineer, class of 1969. She went on to study in Chapel Hill, where she earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of North Carolina. At 22, she launched herself westward, traveling in a Volkswagen van with her sister's family to begin her life in Oregon. After establishing herself in Portland, Sharon took a job with NCR, the first stop on a successful career path in sales and customer service, buoyed always by her natural affinity for people. Adventurous in nature, she took flying lessons and obtained her private pilot's license. She later took a job in customer service at Eugene Aircraft where she met a young flight instructor. On Dec. 27, 1979, she married her husband of 42 years, Dwight L. Foster, the aforementioned flight instructor (later to become a corporate pilot) with whom she would spend the rest of her life. They were wed in Leavenworth, Wash., and settled into their new life together in Springfield, Ore., moving later to Eugene. The Catholic faith passed on to her by her mother, Louise Kaufman, sustained her and she attended Mass weekly throughout her life. She gave deeply of herself, building caring relationships with fellow parishioners young and old. She also inherited her mother's love of cooking and entertaining. Sharon was an immaculate hostess, putting together countless gatherings that were not to be missed. Crab Louie for the holidays ranked highly among her many specialties, and she relished the plentiful farmers markets, fishmongers and bakeries around Eugene. She enjoyed frequent trips to the Oregon Coast with her sister, Arlene Kaufman, and an annual outing with a group of steadfast friends that lasted nearly 40 years to the Tokatee Golf Club on the Mckenzie River where they would golf by day and soak in the hot springs by night. She and Dwight shared a special fondness for finding warmth and sunshine in the wintertime. They also traveled abroad with friends and family on numerous occasions, including travels through Newfoundland, Europe, Israel and French Polynesia. Her artistic expressions came primarily through her home and garden where she spent countless hours creating beautiful environments. She had a remarkable sense for color which she employed through her passions for flower arranging and interior design. Her pets were always long-lived and much beloved, dogs and cats alike, and were at her side in spirit and in actuality at the time of her passing. Sharon left an indelible mark on her friends and family with her sharp tongue, quick wit and boundless kindness and generosity. She was preceded in death by her father, Curt E. Kaufman and her mother, Louise Kaufman, of Eugene, Ore.; and her nephew, Robbie Foster of Kalispell, Mont. She is survived by her husband, Dwight L. Foster of Eugene, Ore.; her sister, Arlene M. Kaufman of Wenatchee, Wash.; her nieces and nephews Jamie and Nena Howell of Wenatchee, Wash.; Toby Howell of Little Rock, Ark.; and Ashley and Tait Yoder of Albuquerque, N.M.; Ronnie Foster of Vancouver, Wash.; Randy Foster of La Grande, Ore.; and Lori Gurley of Mandeville, La. A Celebration of Life will be held at the Shedd Institute for the Arts, 868 High Street, Eugene, on Tuesday, Aug. 16, beginning at 2:30 p.m., including a eulogy and remembrances from family and friends. For those who wish to attend, the Celebration of Life will be preceded by a public Mass at St. Mary's Catholic Church at 1062 Charnelton Street in Eugene beginning at 12:15 p.m. Posted online on August 09, 2022 Published in The Register-Guard