Kenneth "Ken" Foster

Kenneth “Ken” Dewayne Foster, 81, passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by family on Saturday, April 30.

Memorial Services will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 3, 2016 at Ottawa Funeral Home & Crematory, with Rev. Duane Kaufman officiating. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m., prior to the services, at the funeral home on Tuesday.

Born May 5, 1934, Ken was raised in Ottawa by Alvy and Irene (Doolan) Foster. Ken is survived by his wife Suzanne, who recently celebrated a wonderful 60 years together. At age of 14, Sue noticed Ken in art class, convinced him to date her when she was 16, and married when Sue was 18 and Ken was 21.

Ken was an enthusiast of sports and the arts. He was a former President of the Ottawa Art League, whose paintings of the scenic Illinois Valley can be found throughout the area (such as Illinois Veterans home, Rivershores Nursing Home, Ottawa Funeral Home and Marseilles City Hall). If he wasn’t painting, he was watching Chicago sports or his grandchildren play baseball. Ken was a sergeant in the Ottawa High School Drum Corps, a member of the Ottawa Crusaders Drum & Bugle Corps Booster Club, and President of the Ottawa Art League. As a co-founder of Marseilles Little League, many remember him as the “Coach” from nearby Matchtown. His closest friends and family called him “Mope,” and his many grandchildren called him “Cuckoo.” He was also a golden gloves winning boxer in 1952; Ken credited his boxing success to practice gained from sparring at home with his brothers.

Ken is also survived by his two sons, Dewayne (Barb), and Kevin (Julie); two daughters, Kathy (Tim) Caputo, and Dorrene (Erick) Sokn; 10 grandchildren, Dean (Kim), Sean (Tiffany), David (Beckie), Jeremy, Alicia, Jacob (Christine) Caputo, Joshua (Bri) Caputo, Kylie (Cory) Caputo, Christopher (Lauren) Sokn, and Rachel (Michael) Mangiapane; 10 great-grandchildren, Alex Watson, Jolie, Gianna, Quinn, Drew McGinnis, Logan, Sophia, Violet Caputo, Ruby Caputo, and Lydia Sokn.

He was preceded in death by his three brothers, Richard, Norman, and Roger; three sisters, Dorothy Gretencord, Donna Lowe, and Ruth Marten.

Memorials may be directed to the Ottawa Art League or Reddick Library.