Earnest Foster

Earnest A. Foster, Jr., 82, of Bel Aire, Kansas, died Sunday, March 20, 2016, at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita. Earnest was born March 27, 1933, in Iola, Kansas, the son of Earnest A. Foster, Sr. and Marie (Brown) Creason. He graduated from Iola High School in 1952. On September 19, 1953, he married his high school sweetheart, Leora I. Larkey, and went off to serve his country during the Korean War in the U.S. Army. He returned to Iola where he worked for Pet Milk until they closed. They moved to Wichita and he worked for Steffen's Dairy and then in the aircraft industry. He later began working for Mobil Oil in Augusta. When the refinery closed, they moved to Beaumont, Texas where he retired from Mobil in 1993. They made their home in Bel Aire following retirement. His greatest passions were his family and KU basketball. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Leora Foster, 3 children, Gary Foster, Diane (Chris) Ruggles, and Jim (Kelly) Foster, 2 grandchildren, Brent (Carolyn) Ruggles and Jamie (Rob) Klem and 2 step-grandchildren, Christian and Joshua, 4 great grandchildren who were the loves of his life, Sophie Klem, Grayson Ruggles, Zoe Ruggles, and Baylor Klem; and 1 sister, Mary Morgan of Kansas City, Missouri. Private services have been held. Memorials are suggested to your local animal shelter in his memory.