Ray Clifford Foster

Asheville Ray Clifford Foster, 74, of Asheville, son of the late Mamie Elizabeth and Hubert Fletcher Foster , passed on to be with the Lord on Thursday, February 3, 2011 at his home surrounded by the love of his family after a courageous battle with heart and lung disease. Clifford was born in Emma, NC on February 27, 1936, and grew up at the Black Mountain Orphanage, now the Presbyterian Home for Children, until he joined the United States Marine Corps in 1952. He bravely served during the Korean War, and was very proud to be a US Marine. He lived most of his life in Asheville with his wife and children. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Carolyn Loretta Foster; five children: Doris Meadows and husband Dean of Asheville, Mary Crawford and husband Ronald of Salem, SC, Donna Pressley and husband Edward of Asheville, Donald Foster of Asheville, Dr. Debbie Beck of Columbia, SC; six sisters: Mildred Jordan and Elsie Howard, both of Asheville, Della McCaskey of Fayetteville, NC, and the late Ester Clark, formerly of High Point, NC, Lucile Roberts, formerly of Asheville and Margaret Foster, formerly of Chicago, IL; and one brother, the late Hubert Foster, formerly of Seattle, WA. Clifford is also survived by ten grandchildren: Rhonda Crawford, Crystal Crawford, Ronald Crawford, who is actively serving in the US Marine Corps and is stationed in Afghanistan, Rebecca Crawford, Jeffrey Meadows, Jennifer Polston, David Meadows, Brandon Beck, Christopher Beck and Kimberly Pressley; two step-grandchildren: Diane Marie Johnson and Douglas Benjamin Johnson; and eight great-grandchildren: Christian Applegate, Elijah Alexander, Tiffany Bailey, Amber Bailey, Addison Meadows, Grace Meadows, Aaleigha Benjamin and Natalie Crawford. Funeral services will be held at 12:30 PM Wednesday at the chapel of Anders-Rice Funeral Home. Burial will follow at the Western Carolina State Veterans Cemetery, where he will be laid to rest with full military honors. The family will receive friends from 7-9 PM Tuesday at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Ray Fosters memory to the Presbyterian Home for Children, 80 Lake Eden Road, Black Mountain, NC 28711, whose mission is to glorify God by caring for children and families.