Catherine Cochran Foster

Our mother, Catherine Elizabeth Cochran Foster, passed away at home on January 14, 2021 from congestive heart failure. She was born on December 15, 1920 in Youngstown, Ohio and moved to Princeton, NJ in high school. There she met Julius Foster III, who she married in 1942, soon after graduating in Medical Technology from Temple University. During WWII they moved to Oak Ridge, TN where they started a family of 6. In 1960 our family moved to Knoxville, TN.

Mom had many talents. She took great pride in her tailoring talents. She created a houseful of landscapes and seascapes in oil. She fed the family, and whoever followed us kids home, spectacular farmhouse style meals. She also delivered plenty of algebra tutoring sessions.

Mom was a devout Lutheran and was a member of Messiah Lutheran in Knoxville for 60 years. She sang and played cello and bells in the choir. Her cooking was sought out at the inevitable Lutheran potlucks.

She was predeceased by her son Paul Scott and her husband Julius. She leaves behind her son Tom Foster (Jackie), daughters Leslie Foster Brock (Bill) and Frances Foster, grandchildren Chris O’Brien (Lan) and Wendy Foster, and great-grandchildren Violet and Benedict O’Brien. She also created great memories for the extended Cochran and Foster family.

We would like to extend our particular thanks to Patrick Moore of the University of Tennessee Hospice team. Also, to Becky Mocken for the quiet and gentle way she cared for mom over a number of years, allowing mom to remain in her own house, and Beth Schwartz who served mom delicious, beautifully prepared meals that observed mom’s special dietary needs. We are grateful for the care and joy that Jane McQueen brought to the house in the earlier years when mom needed help. Traci Rader and Lona Ford also provided caring, competent care during mom’s last challenging year.

We will remember mom for her great sense of humor, her intelligence, her amusing family and life experience stories, and her resilience while managing a loud, rambunctious family. But most of all, we will remember her for the way she loved us.

A family only service will be held at Messiah Lutheran Church Knoxville on Saturday January 23, 2021 at 2:00 pm. Interment will follow at Berry Highland Memorial Cemetery, 5215 Kingston Pike at 3:00 pm (all are welcome). The service can be accessed on Facebook Live when you "Like" the page for Highland Memorial Park Funerals and Cremations.

Remembrances can be directed to Messiah Lutheran Church of Knoxville or the University of Tennessee Hospice program.