Elton Foster

Elton Edgington Foster, 82, long-time resident of Diamondhead and Pass Christian, passed away on Sunday, September 2. He was born July 18, 1925 in Mobile AL and is preceded in death by his mother and father, Naomi Aveline Ritch and Captain Vendrize Edgington Foster of the Cayman Islands, and his brother, James Van Foster of Panama. Elton grew up in the Panama Canal Zone where his father was a sea captain. He graduated from Cristobal High School in 1943 and served in the United States Navy as a Sonarman G Second Class, V-6 USNR based out of Panama during WWII. Elton received a BS in Civil Engineering from the Detroit Institute of Technology in 1955.
Elton was most proud of his work as an Aerospace Engineering Manager for the Boeing Company for the NASA Apollo/Saturn V Program and the years he spent serving overseas in the Middle East as Project Manager for Site Development and Construction of large grain silo facilities in Egypt prior to the assassination of Anwar Sadat. He was also Lead Field Aerospace Engineer for the technical inspection team for the Minute Man Missile site installations. Elton directed the development and construction of large development projects in New Orleans including Canal Place Retail Mall and Hotel, Jax Brewery Phase III, Double Tree Hotel, Quality Inn, and Pontchartrain Hotel Renovations, and the Jefferson Parish JEDCO Incubator Office Building in Metairie, LA.
Elton was member of the Diamondhead Community Church, Panama Canal Society, Kiwanis Club of Gulfport, VFW Post 3253, American Legion Post 0139, Krewe of Gemini and formerly served as an Auxiliary Deputy with the Harrison County SheriffaÌ‚â‚â„¢s Department. Elton was also an avid sailor and owned Com-Pac Yachts in Bay St. Louis at one time.
Survivors include his wife Sue Wilson Foster, five children in the New Orleans area: Candy Tardiff, Maureen Phelan, Suzanne Foster, Teresa Baker, and Elton A. Foster; seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren; one brother Peter Wade Foster and his wife Marjorie Jean of Palm Harbor, FL; many nieces and nephews; and loving cats, Lilli and Savannah, who provided him much comfort and joy.
Visitation will be Friday, Sept. 7, 2007 from 12 - 2 pm at THE RIEMANN FAMILY FUNERAL HOME, 11280 Three Rivers Road, Gulfport, MS. The funeral service will be at 2 p.m. in the funeral home chapel. Entombment in Floral Hills Mausoleum.