Curtis Nathanael Foster affectionately called “Brother” 90, of Spartanburg, SC, made his transition from this life to the next on June 13, 2012 at Spartanburg Regional Hospital. He was born on May 13, 1922, in Burlington, N.C. He was the son of the late William “Sam” and Cecelia Ora Lee Sellars Foster. Brother was the last surviving member of his immediate family.
He attended local schools in Spartanburg and was in the first graduating Class of Carver High School. He attended North Carolina Central University and Wilberforce University. He was a member of The Epiphany Episcopal Church. Curtis served our country as a Staff Sergeant during WWII in the U.S. Army Air Force.
Curtis’s adventurous spirit and inquiring mind led him to travel extensively throughout the U.S and around the world. He was a builder, an avid reader and writer. He trained many young people in the building trade. In his later years, he enjoyed gardening, listening to his short wave radio and jazz. He also had a passion for storytelling, playing cards and solving crossword puzzles.
Brother was a vibrant personality who took pride in his ability to meet people and make new friends where ever he went. He was encouraging, outgoing and interested in people and loved to share his wisdom. He had a mind like an encyclopedia, he could remember mundane and relevant facts from the beginning of time. One of his mottos was that there is no question that can’t be answered if there is a public library. He often inspired others with his positive outlook and his "can-do" spirit. He was always looking for a better way to grow a vegetable or build a house or fix a gadget. There was never a time when he was not excited to share what he knew.
He had a great sense of humor that touched everyone who came in contact with him. He was loved by many and will be greatly missed.
Brother was very close to his nieces and nephews throughout his life and he is survived by his nieces Carole Fontaine Shumate of Charlotte, N.C. and Annette Shumate Shack of Hartford, CT; his nephews Juan Tizol Shumate of Atlanta, GA and James Shumate and wife Valderia of Durham, N.C.; his great -nieces Ingrid Abroms of Alexandria, VA, Mitcherlean Thompson of Cowpens, S.C; his great-nephew Donald Shack II of Kokomo, IN; his cousin, Mr. Joseph Lyles of Moore, S.C. and other relatives and friends. He was predeceased by his parents, his devoted sister Alsace Lorraine Foster and her husband James C. Shumate of Spartanburg; his beloved cousins SaraBell Reeder-Cohen, Emma Brown Baker, and Ann Brown of Spartanburg and Agnes Foster-Goler of Michigan.
A Memorial Service and repast will be held at 1pm on Saturday July 7, 2012 at the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany. In lieu of flowers, it is the wish of Curtis that memorial donations may be made to the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany at P.O.Box 726, Spartanburg,S.C. 29304.
