Ethel Maud Foster

Ethel Maud Foster, affectionately known as "Mommy Foster,"� was born in Little Kent, St. Ann to Ina and John Campbell on the beautiful island of Jamaica, West Indies on June 1, 1927. She was the first of 14 children.

In 1955, Ethel migrated to London, England. Soon after arriving in London, Ethel met and fell in love with Edwin Foster and they married in 1957. She was a devoted wife and loving mother to Angela and Helen. She adored and was fiercely protective of all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Ethel was talented and multifaceted. In the early years in England, she worked in various capacities, such as an usher in a movie theatre (hence her lifelong passion for films); assembly worker in a parachute factory, and machinist in a dress factory. The skills she learned in the dress factory later evolved into a career as a seamstress and designer. Ethel designed and sewed clothes for herself and all her family.

The family moved back to Jamaica in 1970 where Ethel ventured into entrepreneurship, buying and selling real estate as well as building several houses. She was also the owner of a tourist complex in Ocho Rios, consisting of a restaurant, club, gift shops and an open-air
theater, where many local and international artists performed, including the young Jackson Five. Ethel was well known and respected in the community as a philanthropist, a business owner and a trusted friend.

Mommy Foster's wanderlust took her to many places across Europe, the Americas and the Caribbean. She enjoyed hobbies such as playing the piano, gardening, horse racing, bingo and, of course, her favorite, lotto tickets ("scratch offs"�). After many years of traveling back and forth to Jamaica, in 1994, she finally decided to settle in New York to be close to her children and grandchildren.

Ethel's strength and devotion can be attributed to her strong Christian beliefs and her relationship with God. She was baptized at an early age and made sure God was a focal point in her family's life.

Ethel's kindness to everyone who needed help was legendary. People knew that if they ever needed anything, she would always lend a helping hand with a smile (and money!). She was an exceptional cook and baker and was constantly feeding people. She had a wicked sense of humor and was a great storyteller. As the matriarch of the family, Mommy Foster has left a legacy of love, kindness, entrepreneurship, servitude and devotion to family and God.

She leaves to mourn her: daughters Angela Thompson and Helen Brown; grandchildren: Warren Douglas, Tracy Humphreys, Aesha Sharrieff, Zulaika Burroughs, Annika Saunders, Kentrell Brown; great-grandchildren: Shane Douglas, Jacqueline Burroughs, Zuriann Douglas-Lowe, Kyle Brown and Ziva Marie Latimer; siblings: Howard Francis, Margie Boswell, Joseph Edwards, Rose Francis, Sylvia Edwards, Winova Edwards, Mariam Edwards, Jephthah Edwards, Gloria Edwards, Elfreda Edwards, Lynford Edwards, Glen Campbell Sr., and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and many, many friends.

Lovingly submitted, The Family