BEA FOSTER
Aug. 14, 1965-June 13, 2015
Mildred Beasley "Bea" Stevens Foster, 49, Kinston, the beloved wife of Kinston attorney Allen C. Foster II, passed peacefully into the arms of her Lord late Saturday evening shortly after the wedding of her daughter, Miss Christina Marie Foster to Mr. Nathaniel Kevin Prater.
Bea's God-given strength, tenacity and optimism during her eight-year battle with cancer was typical of her character and was truly inspirational to all who knew and loved her.
Bea was born in Sampson County on Aug. 14, 1965, to the late North Carolina Superior Court Judge and Mrs. Henry L. Stevens III of Warsaw, N.C., and graduated with honors from Harrells Christian Academy in 1983 in a remarkably close class composed of 18 very close friends.
During the subsequent year, Bea was honored to be a North Carolina State debutante and thereafter met her future husband, a then North Carolina State undergraduate student, who became her rock and the love of her life.
Allen has been both lovingly credited and criticized with converting Bea from her traditional Tar Heel upbringing to a die-hard Wolfpack fan.
In 1987, Bea earned a degree in elementary education from Meredith College and thereafter attended East Carolina University before initially embarking on her career as an educator in Carteret County.
On June 30, 1990, she married Allen at the Warsaw Presbyterian Church.
Their first child, Christina Marie Foster, was born on May 30, 1993.
She gave birth to her dearly loved sons, Spencer Grey Foster on Dec. 13, 1995, and Holden Charles Foster on June 1,1998.
Bea and Allen lovingly and attentively homeschooled their children for numerous years before Bea accepted a job at Wayne Christian School in Goldsboro, N.C.
During her years as a loving second grade teacher at Wayne Christian School, Bea unquestionably touched the lives of numerous children and had the opportunity to lead many of them to the Lord.
Bea loved and attended Grace Fellowship Church in Kinston and was a dedicated and faithful servant of Jesus Christ.
Her daily devotional readings were a regular part of her spiritual practice and from them she drew strength and courage.
Bea passed her love of life and faithful optimism to all who knew her.
Bea's greatest joy was being with Allen and her children, to whom she will remain an irreplaceable inspiration.
A service celebrating Bea's life will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 17, 2015, at Grace Fellowship Church, located at 327 Academy Road in Kinston.
Pastor Jason McKnight will officiate, and the family will greet friends from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and following the service.
A private entombment for the family will be held thereafter at Devotional Gardens in Warsaw.
Bea is survived by her husband of 25 years, Allen C. Foster II; daughter, Christina Foster Prater and husband, Nathan Prater; sons, Spencer Foster and Holden Foster; brother, North Carolina District Court Judge Henry L. Stevens IV and wife, Melissa, of Warsaw and their children, Savannah Kate and Henry L. Stevens V; mother-in-law, Shirley Miller Everest; father-in-law, Allen Charles Foster of Kinston; as well as many other special friends and family that Bea loved very dearly.
The family would like to offer special thanks to the wonderful neighbors, friends and the nurses and doctors who cared for her and her family in so many kind and thoughtful ways through the years and during this time of loss.
Flowers are welcome, but the family suggests that memorials in Bea's memory be given to Wayne Christian School, 1201 Patetown Road, Goldsboro, N.C., 27530, or to Grace Fellowship Church, 327 Academy Heights Road, Kinston, N.C., 28504.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.seymourfuneralhome.com.
(Pd)
Published in Obituaries on June 16, 2015 1:49 PM