Jack Tilman Foust

Jack Tilman Foust, age 82, of Salem Oregon, passed away July 8, 2021. He was born in Salem on August 9, 1938 to Tilman and Leona Foust. Jack graduated from Sacred Heart High School, Salem in 1956. He and Phyllis Graber of Salem, were married on March 30, 1957 on the Fort Ord Army base in California.

Jack worked as a cartographer for the Oregon State Department of Forestry where he mapped forest fires from helicopters and interpreted the photos for fire maps to be used by firefighters the next day.

While working for the Department of Forestry, Jack designed, and together with Phyllis built the first of two homes in the Macleay area. The first house, built when he was age 22, was his first hands-on building experience, and was a success. To see his architectural drawings come to life was always an adventure. In all, he built two houses, remodeled two, and built three barns. On three different acreages, he built miles of fences for Phyllis and her animals.

He and Phyllis enjoyed building, traveling together (most of the time), and rodeos.

He was a Marion County, Four Corners volunteer fireman for many years enjoying the camaraderie, and summer fire conventions. He was section supervisor for Mid Willamette Valley Council of Governments mapping section, and was a section supervisor in engineering for the City of Salem Public Works Department.

Jack also served 28 years in the US Army Reserve and Oregon National Guard, joining when he was eighteen, receiving the Soldier of the Year Award in 1978. He retired in 1990 with the rank of Warrant Officer.

A highlight of his Army National Guard service was time in a Salem based intelligence unit using OV-1 Mohawk planes. The Mohawk was developed by Grumman Aircraft as a photo observation and electronic reconnaissance aircraft for the US Army and US Marines. Jack’s job was interpreting photos from the Mohawk. His Unit monitored the eruption of Mt St. Helens in 1980 and the pyroclastic flow down the Toutle River. Summer Camp and war games in this Unit were relished by Jack.

While in the Mohawk Unit, Jack and a fellow guardsman, Professor Chuck Rosenthall from Corvallis, created a “little something” that earned Jack and Chuck a trip to Washington DC. and the Pentagon. There they presented the “little something” and then came back home. Later, Jack received the Meritorious Service Medal and Citation.

After retiring from the City of Salem, he worked part-time for the Oregon Department of Transportation in the T2 Section as a safety trainer traveling around the state and teaching classes. He also worked as a computer consultant for the City of Lake Oswego. In 2008 he retired again.

Jack had a passion for problem solving, for architectural drawing, and building model ships and model railroads.

He is survived by his wife of 64 years, his daughter Tracy, son Shawn and daughter Andrea, his granddaughter Madeleine, grandsons Brandon, Tyler, Kevin, Nathan, and five great grandchildren.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.hed-fh.com for the Foust family.