Mark Edwin Foster, Iii

Mark Edwin Foster III, 80, of Plano, Texas passed away on November 5, 2021.

Born in Marshall, Texas on December 3, 1940, Mark was the oldest child and only son of Mark Edwin Foster, Jr. and Carolyn (Hopson) Foster. Just after WWII, the family moved to Japan. This experience greatly influenced Mark’s life and his love of painting, culture and landscaping. He ultimately gained three younger sisters, graduated Marshall High and attended Panola Junior College before making the decision to join the United States Navy, where he served aboard the USS Currituck during the Vietnam War. Although he tried to allay his mother’s fears by telling her his job was to scrape the barnacles off the hull, he actually served as a military photographer as his father had done during WWII. Following his four-year service, he joined his dad in Plano as a wedding, graduation, and school photographer throughout northeast Texas, eventually taking over the family business. They were the best of friends. Just before he joined the Navy, the younger sister of a close friend had caught his eye and the rest is history. Mark and Brenda would start their lifetime of adventures on January 20, 1966. They were parents to Belinda and Mark IV and proud grandparents to Zane and Kennedy. For many years, weekends were spent on soccer field sidelines. He enjoyed reading, painting, and working in the yard. After retirement, he and Brenda moved to his dream home on Lake Lydia where he painted, boated, fished, and enjoyed sunrises and sunsets from the deck overlooking the water. Trips to Aruba, Australia, Rockport, Texas, Orange Beach, Alabama, Arkansas and Caribbean cruises were among Mark and Brenda’s favorite vacations and resulted in deep friendships around the world. As many remember, every social occasion was punctuated with Mark’s love of sharing a good, funny story. In 2010, when it seemed that this special life would soon be cut too short, he received a miraculous gift with a successful heart transplant, adding 11 more years of rich enjoyment spent with family and close friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents Mark (Ed) and Carolyn Foster and his brother-in-law Roger Greer.  He is survived by his loving wife of 56 years Brenda Foster, their children Belinda Crawford and Mark Foster IV, and grandchildren Zane and Kennedy Crawford. Also, his sisters Karen Ray (David) of Austin, Falba Turner (Paul) of Austin, and Angelika Minter (Gary) of Sachse, his sister-in-law Patty Garza of Marshall and 10 nieces and nephews that loved their Uncle Mark.

Mark will be remembered as a good husband, father, brother, and friend; always willing to lend a hand and to share a laugh, especially over good food.

An informal memorial gathering will be held at Allen Family Funeral Options on Thursday, November 11, 2021 from 4:00 – 6:00 PM with a pastor message at 5:00.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made to one of the following charitable organizations:

Wounded Warriors Project: https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/donate

American Heart Association: https://www.heart.org/en/

* Please consider becoming an organ donor. Visit:

https://www.donatelifetexas.org/