John “Red” David Foster, age 79 of Clinton, passed away peacefully Friday, February 2nd, 2024 surrounded by his wife, daughter and grandson at Cedar Valley Hospice Home in Waterloo, Iowa. Funeral service will be held Wednesday Feb. 7th at Noon at the Pape Funeral Home, Clinton. Visitation will be held Wednesday 10:00 AM – Noon at the funeral home. Following the graveside service, a luncheon will be held at the Journey Church, 1010 13th Ave. N., Clinton, IA. In memory of John and in lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Cedar Valley Hospice Home in thanks for their compassionate care in making his final days as comfortable as possible. Online condolences may be left at www.papefh.com.

John was born on January 30th, 1945 to Frank and Mary Foster (Quanstrom) in Clinton. John married Kathleen Williams on October 11, 1980 in Sabula, IA. John led an adventurous and spirited life. From his boyhood pranks and getting a rise out of the nuns to his free spirit as a young man and into adulthood, John always had a mischievous and fun-loving side that was second only to his kind and gentle nature. His natural ability to put people at ease and make them laugh will have a lasting impression on everyone who knew him.

John had a passion for photography, particularly for capturing the beauty of nature, the flowers he grew and cherished moments spent with friends and family. He loved gardening and delighted in his flowers and he took great pride in his vegetable garden every summer, making his own salsa and V8. John found solace in being outdoors, spending countless hours hiking, mushroom hunting, gathering chestnuts and making maple syrup while appreciating the tranquility of nature. John retired as the production manager of the Midwest Poly site of Custom-Pak after more than 30 years with the company.

John is survived by his wife, Kathleen Foster; son, Christopher Foster; daughter, Sarah (Jake) Eades; and his beloved grandchildren, Kane Templeton, Rucker Eades, Riley Eades, Breanna Eades, Stephanie Foster, Sean Foster and Brandon Foster; sister, Joan Cain and brother, Dave Foster. John was preceded in death by his parents, a brother and three sisters. John’s spirit and memory will live on in the hearts of all who knew and loved him as he finally sails into the mystic.