Roxie J. Foster

Roxie’s most loved pastime was morel mushroom hunting. She once spent a month in Michigan searching for mushrooms and attending the local festivals. She would often reminisce about that trip and say it was her favorite vacation ever.

She was born in Dayton, Ohio in 1950 to Alma Jean (Doan) Kirby and Walker Lee Kirby. After her parents divorced her father married Nannie Ray Nelson who devotedly raised her.

When she was about 12 years old her parents, moved her to Rockcastle County Kentucky, the birthplace of her father. Being a city girl, this time in her life wasn’t easy. She went from; indoor plumbing to an outhouse, and from buying milk at the corner store to milk straight from the cow. It was like going back in time she would say. She did like school however, and made lots of friends which eventually lead to meeting and marrying her first husband, Otis Bradley.

She and Gene (as she called him) were married in 1967 and had three children: Angela Denise, Tina Jo, and Raymond Phil. Immediately following their marriage, they moved out of Kentucky and back to Ohio, where they predominantly lived as they raised their children.

After raising their children and 21 years of marriage, She and Gene divorced, and she then married John Foster. John had two children from a previous marriage, Bryan and Amber Foster. Her marriage to John relocated her to Florida, where she fell in love with the weather, the ocean and flea markets. Although her marriage to John ended, she stayed and lived in Florida for many years. She made life-long friends and enjoyed life.

While she was in Florida her children were starting families and she became a Grammy. Angela had 2 sons: Josh and Kyle; Tina had 7 daughters: Lacy, Michele, Veronica, Kylie, Hana, Jorie and Mazie; and Raymond had 5 children: Megan, Ryan, TJ, BB and Liam.

She was blessed to have 10 great-grandchildren: Raelyn, Shelby, Reagan, Rylan, Sadie, Izzy, Remi, Byrdie, Ellie and Everett. She was doubly blessed with 2 great-great-grandchildren: Isla and Ivory.

Eventually Nancy, her sister, convinced her to move away from her beloved weather and ocean and closer to her in Indiana. A few years later she moved to Ohio to be near her daughters.

She will always be remembered for her fierce independence and her ability to collected things. We'll always imagine hearing her say, “Don’t throw that away, I’ll use it someday.” We will think of her often, if our collections get too large or we hear ourselves saying the same thing.

We will miss her every day. Her legacy will live on in the lives of all those who loved her.

Roxie was preceded in death by her birth parents, Walker Kirby and Alma Hines. Her brothers Ricky Kirby (son of Walker and Alma), Zane Hines, (son of Alma), and her grandson, Joshua Brown.

She is survived by her mother, Nannie Rae (Kirby) Washum ; and 11 siblings: Coochie, Melinda, Glenda, Marty, Bucky, Johnny, Jackie, Helen, Nancy, Francis and Shane.

A memorial service will be held on June 28 at 11:00 am, at The Englewood Church of Grace and Truth, 307 W. Wenger Road, Englewood, Ohio. A light lunch will follow the service.