Olive Marie Foster

Olive Marie Foster, 105, passed away on January 15, 2023. She was born in Perry County, Indiana on May 4, 1917, the daughter of the late Claud and Alice (Dauby) Mitchell. She was united in marriage to Cecil Foster in 1937, who passed away in 1983 after 45 years of marriage. She moved to Ft. Myers Florida in 1984 and took care of her elderly mother until her death in 1993.

Olive began her 37-year teaching career at the age of nineteen in a one room schoolhouse. She taught twenty-one years in Indiana and sixteen in Broward County in Florida. She was named teacher of the year in 1973 in Broward County. She continued her love for education by setting up the Cecil and Olive Foster Scholarship Fund through the Perry County Community Alliance Foundation in 1998, for Perry County Students. Cruising was her best hobby and in doing so she visited several islands and countries. Olive had been a member of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church since it was originally founded in 1986. She was also a member of the FREA and Lee County Teacher Retirement Association.

Olive is survived by her nieces and nephews, Janie Chase, Mark Cosby, Jerry Hudson, and Helen Hudson.

Preceding her in death in addition to her parents and husband, are her sisters Mildred and Kathryn; nieces, Clara Phalen, Betty Phalen; and nephew, Alfred Hudson.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00am on Monday, January 23, 2023, at Zoercher-Gillick Funeral Home with Fr. Luke Waugh officiating. Burial will follow in Beard Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 2:00 to 5:00pm CST Sunday, January 22, 2023, at Zoercher-Gillick Funeral Home and from 9:00am to service time on Monday.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Cecil and Olive Foster Scholarship Fund.

Condolences may be left at zoercher-gillickfuneralhome.com

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Olive Marie Foster, please visit our floral store.