George J. Foster
1923 - 2008
A Life of Service
George J. Foster, a 50-plus-year resident of the
Bimini/White House Place neighborhood, died at home, cared for by friends and
neighbors, on May 24, of complications from Crohn’s disease. He was 84.
George was born in Wilmington, Delaware, on
September 30, 1923. He and his brother lived in an orphanage as youngsters.
George enlisted in the Navy in 1941 and later became a gunner. He survived the
attack on Pearl Harbor and served throughout the war; later he liked to share
war stories. As a sailor, his work included scrubbing the ship's decks and
shooting down kamikaze pilots. Even after decades, George suffered "survivor
guilt," both from the deaths he caused by shooting down the enemy, and those he
felt responsible for when he could not shoot one down, and it hit the ship,
killing and injuring many shipmates. He was particularly bothered that a
shipmate killed in battle left a wife and two children behind.
Soon after moving to the neighborhood in the
1950s, he put himself to the task of keeping the neighborhood clean. At three
o'clock each morning he would head for the street to sweep and pick up trash.
Local merchants came to depend on him to keep the sidewalks clean. Even as the
neighborhood declined to a blighted inner-city area in the 1980s and 90s, George
continued this work, and also made it his business to paint out graffiti.
After the uprisings of 1992 his calm, friendly, familiar presence helped enhance
the community's sense of safety. George never
had any fear of walking and working on these streets, even in the wee hours of
the morning. He also helped advance the goals of the Los Angeles
Eco-Village as it started to develop in 1993. Eco-Villagers respected George as
an important contributor to the rejuvenation of the neighborhood.
George could also be counted upon to care for his dying neighbors in their final
weeks, then provide emotional support for survivors. He often demonstrated
neighborly care to many of the economically displaced persons on the street,
frequently giving them food and money. He even borrowed from friends to give
street people a little something. He provided some with his address so they
could receive mail or checks in a safe place. From time to time, he provided
shelter to homeless individuals, much to the dismay of his landlord. He
frequently lunched with friends at the Mary Lind Foundation on his block. In the
1960s, George and his brother brought their mother to live at 117 Bimini Place
(a building he managed for a time), and looked after her until her passing.
A very place-based person, George rarely traveled farther than he could walk.
Even in his 80s, George took long walks around the neighborhood daily, chatting
with neighbors, picking up trash, keeping people informed of what was going on
in the community. George loved animals and always had a cat. Frequently he
helped care for feral cats that roamed the area. George also loved the sun, and
sat outside each day.
Although his heart was in great shape, other parts of his
body began breaking down, and in the past ten years he had several operations
and hospital stays. More recently he would say his end was near, and began
relying more and more on the help of his neighbors at the Bimini Apartments.
Other residents would tease him, saying that they thought he would outlive them
all, but George was the best judge. When he felt his steam running out, he knew
he wanted to die at home without invasive measures. His primary caretaker, Lara
Morrison, arranged for many comforts: hospice workers, nurses, pain medications
and a hospital bed which eased his last days. During the final weeks, she
provided round-the-clock care with the help of other neighbors who kept watch
over him just as he had kept watch over the neighborhood for so many decades.
He is survived by his cat, Velvet, and his many loving friends and neighbors on
Bimini Place and White House Place, including his long term friend and neighbor
Dwight Brannon. He will be missed by many.
A memorial service will be held in the L.A. Eco-Village neighborhood on Saturday, May 31 at 6 pm at the intersection of Bimini Place and White House Place. A memorial bench will also be built in the neighborhood in his honor. Tax deductible contributions for the bench may be made to CRSP, 117 Bimini Pl, #221, Los Angeles CA 90004.
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