ROSEMARYE FOSTER

Rosemarye Hunter (Rose) was born on February 3, 1936, the second oldest daughter of the late Frank Hunter and Emerline (Adams) Hunter. Rosemarye grew up with her three sisters, DeLois, Ethel and Myrtle on the family farm located on Highway 270, near Pine Bluff, Arkansas. From an early age until leaving to attend college, Rose worked hard on the farm, played with her sisters, sewed clothes for her dolls and cultivated her love of gardening.

Rose would eventually leave Highway 270 to attend Arkansas AM&N, now named the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. She graduated from AM&N in 1958 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Tailoring and Elementary Education.

On December 30, 1957, at the tender age of 21, she was united in marriage with Richard A. Foster in Pine Bluff. The couple moved around courtesy of the United States Air Force as Richard was an enlisted Airman. After living in Toledo, Ohio, they moved to Rome, New York where they would make their home, raise two children, Elisa and Daryl, and reside for nearly 40 years. Throughout those years in Rome, Rose taught elementary school with the majority of that time as a 2nd grade teacher. After 30 years of educational service, Rose retired in 1991, and she and Richard relocated to the suburbs of Dallas, Texas where their son, Daryl lives.

Having accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior at an early age, Rose regularly attended Shiloh Baptist Church as a child and became an active member of Rome’s Mount Calvary Baptist Church. She participated in many activities including serving on the Usher Board, singing in the choir and being a Trustee. In her spare time, she enjoyed traveling and more than anything, gardening. People she didn’t even know would often drive by her house in Rome and stop to tell her how lovely her flowers were year after year.

Once she moved to Texas, she joined the Community Missionary Baptist Church where she was active in the Health & Fitness Ministry, and enjoyed participating in the Senior Saints activities. Her love of gardening also continued when she moved to Texas. There, she planted so many beautiful flowers in Daryl’s yard, that she won him “Yard of the Month” in his community.

After 85 years on this earth, Rose earned her angel wings and passed peacefully into God’s hands on July 16, 2021. Rose was preceded in death by her husband of 52 years, Richard A. Foster; her parents Frank and Emerline Hunter; her brother, Raymond Robinson; a sister, Myrtle Flagg; and nephews, Raymond Robinson Jr. and Medgar Armstrong. She is survived by her children, Elisa Foster-Rollox and son-in-law, Ayodele Rollox of Columbia, MD; her son Richard Daryl Foster of DeSoto, TX; 2 granddaughters, Kelci and Kiya Foster; her two sisters, DeLois Taylor (Floyd, deceased) of Cedar Hill, TX, Ethel Armstrong (Joseph, deceased) of Monee, IL; her sister-in-law Desiree Robinson (Raymond, deceased) of Memphis, TN; and a host of nieces and nephews, family members and too many lifelong friends to list individually.