Clifton Neal Foster Obituary (1934 - 2020)

Clifton Neal Foster, 86, passed away July 8, 2020. He was born February 27, 1934, in Benedict, Nebraska. Clifton was the youngest of the eight children of Gertrude and John Foster. After serving in the army at the end of the Korean War, Cliff attended Nebraska Wesleyan University for a Bachelor of Science in Physics. He received his Masters degree and a Doctorate of Education from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. His passion for learning, conveying knowledge, and inspiring others led Cliff to a life in education with positions as a teacher, coach, lecturer, professor, principal, and superintendent of schools. Excited by and recognizing the potential of early personal computers, Cliff left public education in 1981 to create a computer school that evolved into a successful computer store and software business in Bellevue, Nebraska. He concluded his career by returning to teaching and school administration. His enthusiasm for technology and willingness to explore new ideas continued throughout his life. Cliff met his love and lifelong partner, Marilyn, in 1962. He proposed after three weeks of dating, resulting in 50 years of loving marriage, and a family of four children. Family travel and exploration of the US and the world filled their lives with learning, joy, and fun. Cliff last traveled in 2019 to visit his 50th state, seeing the glaciers, Denali, and wildlife of Alaska with his son, John. Cliff remained active at his home and in his backyard to the end, gardening, feeding birds (and those darned squirrels!), reading, and dabbling in art. Cliff lived the majority of his life in his beloved Nebraska, living and working in communities across the state, from Broken Bow and Lexington to Stromsburg. He was proud of being a state legislator from 1963 to 1965. He enjoyed the state's community, history, and environment, and, of course, Husker sports. He is survived by his sister, Patty; his children, John, Matthew, Natalie, and Halcyon; six grandchildren, Joelly, Camille, Rhys, Kate, Josephine, and Eva; and his Golden Retriever, Jake. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of his favorite charities, Lexington Community Foundation, Guide Dogs for the Blind, or the National Audubon Society. A service will be held at a future date. Guide Dogs for the BlindWeb: https://www.guidedogs.com/support-gdb/donate National Audubon SocietyWeb: https://act.audubon.org/a/donate?ms=digital-fund-web-website_nas-topmenu