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William Foster, III

William Foster, III

Veterans Funeral Care William Foster, III

William Bill Paul Foster III, 60, of St Petersburg, FL, died on August 24, 2008 from a service connected disability and under the care of Hospice at the Bay Pines VA Health Care System.

Born in New London, CT, and local Pinellas Park resident since 1969, when he returned from Vietnam. He was an owner and operator of Mr. Pool; a Baptist; and a member of the American Legion. Specialist Four William P. Foster III was a US Army Vietnam War Veteran. During his military service he was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam National Service Medal, and Vietnam National Commendation Medal.

He is survived by his wife, Hang of St. Petersburg, FL; his mother, Phyllis Bourrie, of St Pete; in-laws, Bo Luat and Me Nga of Da Nang, Vietnam; a son, Daniel Foster and his wife, Gina of Tarpon Springs; a son, Casey Foster, and his wife Lorena, of Hudson, FL; and five grandchildren, Korie, Thomas, Danny, Alex, and Breanna; two nieces, Holly Foster-Andersen, of Hudson, FL; Kim Foster-Babcock, of Mooresville, NC; three Aunts, Isabelle Thompson, of Waterford, CT, Rosemary Wiecinski of Berlin, CT. and Priscilla Allin of Pinellas Park, FL.; four cousins, Michael Devlin of Chicago, IL; Kevin Devlin of Chester, CT, Bonnie Miley of Wilksboro, NC; David Devlin of New London, CT; brother-in-law, Ha and his wife Loan, of Da Nang, Vietnam; sister-in-law, Huong of Da Nang, Vietnam.

At Bill’s request he will cremated and a portion of his remains will be laid to rest at the National Veteran’s Cemetery in St Petersburg, FL, at a private family ceremony; his remains will also be laid to rest in Vietnam in the care of Hang’s family. Again, at Bill’s request, a "Celebration of His Life" will be held at Flashbacks Bar and Grill, 11681 49th Street North, Clearwater, FL, on Saturday, August 30, 2008, beginning at 1:00 p.m. Feel free to bring a covered dish to share, but "the last round is on Bill."

Specialist Foster was a member of Company B44, 36th Signal Battalion. He served for 18 months as a 31M20 SIG. He distinguished himself by exceptionally meritorious service in support of military operations against communist aggression in the Republic of Vietnam. He surmounted extremely adverse conditions to obtain consistently superior results, and contributed significantly to the success of the allied effort. "Has anyone told you how lovely you look today?" "Bill Foster, damn glad to meet you." These are the words of a man who met everyone with open arms and a big heart. Everyone Bill met was a new friend and that friendship was yours to keep and enjoy; it was given freely with no strings attached. Bill was a modest man who never felt he was better than anyone else. His credo was go through life and do no harm; live your life to the fullest and have a damn good time as you go. Bill was always the first one to buy a round of drinks, the first to open his pocket if you needed help; a strong shoulder to lean on and sympathetic ear if you needed someone to tell your troubles. He was all you could ever hope for in a friend. Bill never understood moderation. Everything he did was full of passion.

Skydiving – you needed the first thousand jumps to be sure you really like it and the rest are for the sheer joy of flying. Golf was time to be with friends, a little competition, and God love them – the beer cart girls. The pool business was an important part of Bill’s life. It was a place where he could meet new friends, help them with their problems and make a few bucks doing what he loved. Bill loved his family most of all. Whether it was a celebration or a problem that needed attention; whatever was needed, he was there. He was proud of his sons, Dan and Casey, and was happy with the fact that they were not only his sons, but were his friends. He was a loving and caring son, a great father-in-law to Lorena and Gina, a loving Uncle to Holly and Kim, and a proud grandfather to all of his grandchildren. Bill, Dennis, my brother Kevin and I grew up as brothers and have shared our lives with love and respect and many, many good times. Most of the time Bill’s mom, Phyllis, and my mother, Isabelle, were interchangeable for us. We went to whoever was nearest with our problems and successes. Aunt Phil can’t be with us today as she is recovering from a fall, and my mom, Isabelle, will be coming down soon to be with Hang and Aunt Phil. Hang was the true love of Bill’s life. They would have been married 4 years on September 19. Bill tried to hang on so that he could kiss his wife on their anniversary. For the last four years Hang has cared for Aunt Phil who lives with them and for the last two years she has devoted her life to caring for Bill night and day and making each day as happy for him as possible. We all deeply love her and thank her for everyday that her loving care kept him alive; each one has been a gift to all of us. A portion of Bill’s ashes will be returned to Vietnam, a country he hated during the war, but came to love on his many return trips. It gave him Hang and a family in Vietnam that loves and respects him. Hang’s father Bo Luat and mother Me Nga, her brother Ha and her sister Huong will care for his remains in Vietnam and help keep the bond between Bill’s American family and his Vietnamese family. As we gather here to Celebrate Bill’s Life you all should know that it was planned by Bill himself. As we raise our glasses and toast Bill’s life remember: "The Last Round is on Bill!" On behalf of Hang, Aunt Phil, Dan, Casey and all of our Family: we thank you for joining us in celebrating his life and we thank Bill for the way he has touched all of our lives. Bill you will be missed but never forgotten. I Love You Brother!

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