John Foster

John Foster, age 90, of Erie, passed away Thursday, January 16, 2025, at Hermitage Embassy Healthcare. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama on October 23, 1934, a son of the late George Billingsley and Lucinda Paul Foster. 

John lived a storied life. While living in Alabama, he was a 1952 graduate of A.H. Parker High School. He continued his education earning his bachelor’s and master’s degree from Alabama State University in 1957. While in college, one of his jobs was as a driver for Dr Martin Luther King, witnessing many historical events during the Civil Rights movement. Afterwards, John began his career in music teaching in Birmingham. 

He married Gwendoyln Harden in 1963 and moved to Cleveland, Ohio 2 years later, where he became a plant foreman for the Ford Motor Company, a licensed insurance agent, a tenor with the Cleveland Chorale and a substitute teacher for the Cleveland school district. In 1971 the family moved to Erie, PA. and he began his full-time teaching career for the City of Erie school district, where he taught at every elementary school as well as East High School until his retirement in 1998. John became an ordained minister in 1973, pastoring at Edenborn COG, Cherry Street COG, and finally retiring from the Boynton Street COG after 23 years. Additionally, John was a member of the Western PA Ministerial Committee, Erie Planning Commission, the MLK Center in Erie, and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. In his free time, he was a musician and singer with the Singspirations, the Family’s singing group. He also loved traveling, driving, feeding the birds, anything to do with trains, and watching sports, especially football and wrestling.

John is survived by his daughters, Paula Gibson, and Jeana Foster- Kocur, by his grandchildren, Yuri Gibson, Michael Gibson (Juliana), Ebony Gibson, and John Kocur. He is further survived by his great grandchildren Aurora Fant, Kaladin Gibson, and Zander Fant; his siblings, Ardis Walton, Ann Foster, Ronald Foster, Rita MacDonald, and many nieces and nephews. 

In addition to his parents, John is preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Gwendolyn Harden Foster; by his sons in law Bradley Gibson and Kenneth Kocur. He is further preceded by his siblings, Ervie Foster, Catherine Edmonds, Jean Judkins, Ralph Foster, and Clifford Foster. 

Friends are invited to call on the family Friday, January 31, 2025, from 2:00 to 4:00, and 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, February 1, from 11:00 a.m. until the time of the funeral service at 12:00 p.m. all at Burton Quinn Scott Cremation & Funeral Service Inc. Downtown, 602 W. 10th Street, Erie. Burial to follow in Erie Cemetery. 

Send condolences to: www.BurtonQuinnScott.com