On January 6, 2022, Shirley Foster passed away peacefully in The Mira, Truro after a short illness. She was 93.
A daughter of the late Gordon and Mavis (Hilchie) Weaver, Shirley was born in Stewiacke. In 1947, Shirley married Robert (Bob) Foster and they started their family in Stewiacke. There they raised two daughters, Brenda and Maureen. While Bob spent much of the child-raising years in the Navy, Shirley worked to provide a nurturing home for their girls, instilling in them a love of learning and the importance of education.
She and Bob enjoyed spending time with close friends, often Shirley’s sisters and brothers. There were many laughs from storytelling, but nothing quite matched the enjoyment of Halloween and other costume-wearing occasions (such as milestone birthdays). Halloween was undoubtedly Shirley’s favourite day of the year, as she looked forward to the clever costume-wearers who came to her door. Her reactions to great costumes made a Hallows Eve drive to Shirley’s house very worthwhile.
After first moving to East Stewiacke in 1974, Shirley and Bob started building their dream home in 1989. Located in West St. Andrews at the corner of the Coldstream and Alton Roads, the home became an expression of their respective passions. While Bob worked on the house itself and hand-crafted in his workshop much of the furniture, the landscaping was Shirley’s domain. You could expect to find her outdoors, wheelbarrow in tow, constantly expanding and adding to her yard and gardens. And if it were suggested that perhaps she could start turning yard work over to someone else, that suggestion was quickly ignored. Though she would never say so, she surely took pride when more than one couple asked to take their wedding pictures around the property.
It’s easier to describe someone’s dedication to their yard than it is to describe their approach to raising a family: the horticultural results are there for all to see. But Shirley’s devotion to being a mother and a grandmother is well-understood by her family and it was not unlike how she approached her gardens: with dedication, tireless energy, and the quiet satisfaction that comes from watching things thrive. After raising her own daughters, she continued to support them and their careers by caring for her grandchildren after school and during summer vacations. With little fanfare, Shirley nurtured another generation. She helped her grand kids with their schoolwork and even taught them how to ride their bikes, no training wheels involved—Shirley held the back of their seats while her grandchildren pedaled up and down her driveway.
Shirley is survived by daughters, Brenda (Richard), Maureen (Terry); grandchildren, Vaughn (Katie), Tyler (Sarah), Breanna (Andrew): all thriving because of her. She is also survived by great-grandchildren, Sierra, Michaela and Camden and a fourth great-grandchild soon to arrive; brothers, Lorne and Eric. She was predeceased by her husband, Robert Foster; sisters, Diane Erskine, Ruth Miller, Jeanne Fassett, Eva Fleming; and brothers, Vaughn and John “Dewey”.
Shirley’s family would like to thank the staff of The Mira for their kind and compassionate care.
There will be no visitation or funeral at her request.
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Shirley Foster January 6 2022..
Death notice for the town of: Upper-Musquodoboit, Province: Nova Scotia