Funeral services for Charles R. (Charlie) Foster were held at 11:00 a.m., Friday, January 7, 2005 in the Chapel of Davis-Greenlawn Funeral Home with interment following at Green-lawn Memorial Park.

Charlie was born in Hatties-burg, Mississippi but was raised in Laurel, Mississippi. He married Mary Lucile Jordan in 1937. Two children were born of this union, Charles Stephen Foster and Susanna Foster, now Susanna Foster Barrett.

Charlie's formal education consisted of attendance and graduation from the public school system in Laurel and from Jones County, Mississippi Junior College, a summer course in soil mechanics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and extension courses in subjects related to engineering from Mississippi State University.

He was a Civil Engineer, licensed by examination in Mississippi, and by reciprocity in Texas and Maryland. He specialized in pavements especially asphalt pavements.

He worked full time for 44 years, 2 for the Masonite Corporation, 2 for the Soil Conservation Service, 23 for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 17 for the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA), and part time as a Consultant for 20 years.

His last 15 years with the Corps was at the Waterways Experiment where he was engaged in research on all phases of asphalt pavements, mix design, thickness requirements, and compaction requirements. Much of what he analyzed and recommended or supervised is still in use by the Corps and other public agencies. He also supervised research on the use of landing mats, membranes, and the trafficability of unsurfaced soils and snow.

At NAPA he managed their Quality Improvement Program. He was active in getting the acceptance by state transportation departments of automatic batching with recordation, automatic screed controls, surge and storage bins, thick lifts, use of silicone to prevent tearing, drum mixers, mixing time based on coating, cessation requirements based on lift thickness and temperature rather than on a calendar day, and recycling.

During his career he was an active member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the Transportation Research Board, the American Society for Testing and Materials, and the Association of Asphalt Paving Technologists (AAPT). Charlie wrote some 200 papers many of which were published by these societies and by NAPA. A paper he coauthored in 1951 received ASCE's Thomas Fitch Rowland Award and one he coauthored in 1959 received ASCE's Norman Medal, the highest Award given by ASCE. He also received the Asphalt Institute's Award of Merit, AAPT's Award of Recognition, and he was a charter member of NAPA's Hot Mix Hall of Fame.

He is survived by his wife, Lucile; son, Charles Stephen Foster; daughter, Susanna Foster-Barrett and her husband, Michael M. Barrett of Frederick, Maryland. Further he is survived by three grandchildren, Michelle Foster Cashiola and her husband, David Cashiola of Sugar Land; Charles Randal Foster and his wife, Nicole Foster of Tomball, Texas; and Susan Fionna Barrett of Frederick, Maryland; three great-grandchildren, Cameron Cashiola, Mary Catherine Cashiola, Nathan Cashiola and two step great-grandchildren, Ally Owens and Jordan Owens.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, Texas Affiliate, P.O. Box 15186, Austin, Texas 78761-5186.