In loving memory of

Allen Ray Foster
January 10, 1964 - February 9, 2018

SUN PRAIRIE-Allen Ray Foster, age 54, passed away on, Friday, February 9, 2018. He was born January 10, 1964 in Tampa, Florida, son of Earl and Judy (Salyers) Foster.

Formerly of Springfield, Ohio, Allen married Shawn Rzentkowski in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on October 11, 1997. They celebrated 20 years of marriage. Together they raised their four people, who are incredible, confident, loving, and compassionate, and who will contribute to his legacy. Allen's greatest blessing was his family. He was a loving husband and a wonderful, fun-loving father to his children. We remain thankful that God chose us to be a family.

Unconditionally kind and loving, he is survived by his wife, Shawn; his children, Spencer, Maggie, Kayla and Tyler; mother, Judy Foster; and sister Leann Murnahan. He will be missed greatly by his friends and family, including cousins, nieces and nephews who knew him as Uncle Ra. He was preceded in death by his dad Earl.

Jovial, happy, and loyal, Allen loved life fully and loved his family fiercely. He found humor regularly, and very easily, even in the mundane. His contagious laugh could get a whole room going, even if everyone missed the initial joke. Allen regularly laughed to the point of tears, and was never too shy to be silly so others would do the same. At the same time, he was seriously committed to the power of a positive attitude. He found something positive about every person he met and every situation he encountered. Complaining was foreign to him and he tried to spare those around him of worries and concerns, even while battling cancer. For example, when being interviewed about beating cancer, he said, "Cancer made me appreciate family and good health. We all take that for granted and it shouldn't be. It reinforced the power of positive thinking and the power of prayer for me. I want people to know I am a positive person with a positive attitude."

Realizing many dreams along his journey, Allen lived with passion, joy, and a spirit of adventure. He was blessed to have traveled the world and to have filled his life with amazing experiences: bungee jumping in New Zealand, visiting the Eiffel Tower, being chef for a day in Italy, soaking up the sun on Hawaii's beaches, riding hop-on hop-off buses around America, and bobsledding on the Olympic track in Salt Lake City. However, no adventure around the world would compare to the joy he had watching his family experience life. Allen was immensely proud of Spencer, Maggie, Kayla, and Tyler. He loved Shawn with his entire spirit. His love for his family was immense, all-consuming, and evident to anyone who was blessed to know him.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Saint Albert the Great Catholic Church, 2420 St. Albert Drive, Sun Prairie on Saturday, February 17, 2018 at 11:30 am with Monsignor Donn Heiar presiding. A visitation will be held from 9:00 a.m. until the time of the mass at the church.

The family would like to thank the gracious and hard-working doctors and staff at UW Hospital for their compassionate care, not only of Allen, but of all of us.

Cress Funeral Home
1310 Emerald Terrace
Sun Prairie, WI 53590
608-837-9054

Tributes

Mike Jacobs wrote on Feb 18, 2018:

"Whhhaaaaaaaaat's happening!? Allen Foster, my friend, LARGER THAN LIFE. The charm! The charisma! The personality! Too many exclamation points? Allen lived as an exclamation point! Never a dull moment. He will miss some great moments for sure, but Allen already lived the life of ten people! You have brought such joy to my life. I am better for having known you, you will always be my friend. And I will shout that from the mountain tops, especially the Smoky Mountains."

Jeanne wrote on Feb 14, 2018:

"Foster family, we are praying for you all. You have the love and support of many in Sun Prairie, at Edgewood, and beyond. Hugs, Jeanne Blachowicz"

Debbie Fritz wrote on Feb 14, 2018:

"I must say after reading Allen's obituary, his family expressed the right words of my cousin and friend, Allen Foster. He was a wonderful, kind, caring guy! And yes he definitely was a Family Man! He loved his children and wife Shawn so much! And he also loved his mother Judy. I remember when he found out about his cancer and he knew he had to have treatments, he drove here to Springfield to personally tell his mother, he Loved and cared about Judy so much. Back in his school days we would call him Alpo. It stuck with him for years. We have definitely lost a great guy in our Foster family. When I would call Allen and Shawn, I would say "IT'S Your favorite Cousin from Springfield" they both would reply " We your Favorite cousins from Wisconsin" their my only cousins from Wisconsin. Well Foster family, I know you'll miss your dad but each one of you have and will carry him in your heart and he'll be with you in spirit, that's what my mom told me and he'll be right with you. God has already made Allen an Angel and he will be watching over his family. Love you guys, from Debbie and Jeff Fritz, Springfield, Ohio "

Genevieve Jacobs wrote on Feb 14, 2018:

"I have many great things to say about Mr. Foster. I'd like to repeat that he was a wonderful man, and I most saw this through the time spent with my family. He gave me and my family experiences we would have never had the opportunity to have such as tubing, sporting events, and the taste of his world-famous milkshakes! One opportunity that remains most sincere in my heart is when I was gifted MarioKart Wii for my birthday. It was the #1 thing on my wishlist that year, but my family did not have the resources to give it to me, so the Fosters did. They saw how much I loved the game when I would play with Maggie, Kayla, and Tyler, and knew exactly what to give me when my family could not. I still play that game all the time today. And even before he passed, whenever I started it up, I thought of him and his generosity because he was the reason that I had the game at all. Now, the game will have even more significance to me. He not only was generous with gifts and other physical opportunities, but he was a great friend to my parents and a friendly figure to my siblings and me. Some of my most fond memories are game nights where we would come over, cook some delicious homemade food, share it together, and then enjoy games. I would hang out with the Foster kids in the living room while listening to our parents laugh it up in the living room. Often times we would all fall asleep on the couches to the sounds of our parents' laughter which was always the best sleep track. I am so grateful I got to the age where I could join in with the adults and play cards, Things, Bezzerwizzer, Scattergories, and other party games with them, because that is when I was able to most closely interact with Allen, Shawn, and my parents at once. These game nights are what allowed me to see how much fun my parents loved Allen and Shawn, and how funny all the adults were, especially Allen. I will miss his humor so much because it is the perfect kind- he tells the joke fast and it takes a minute to appreciate how truly witty it was. I have not met anyone who has this skill like he does, and I will miss it so much. The last thing I will write for now is that his love for his family and their love for them was always so evident. In July, after a 4th celebration, I rode home with him and Maggie. Maggie really wanted McDonald's, so he drove us to three different ones to try to find one that was open so late, even though they were not exactly on the way home. Kayla always sat right by him and hugged whenever we were in the living room, often times falling asleep together. And of course, the countless times he went to Camp Randall with Tyler and friends. Tyler and him always came home so happy win or lose because they had fun either way. And of course, Mrs. Foster was his perfect partner, always by his side, always showing great teamwork, which I saw most when they cooked together. My family, his family, everyone that knew him and I will miss him dearly. And I know my family is very much looking forward to the next game night together. "

Wayne and Jean Belanger wrote on Feb 13, 2018:

"Our lives were changed for the better when we met you. You taught us how to be a better person. We have never met a more caring and loving person. We will always remember the "HEY! WHAT'S HAPPENING!" When you came into a room with that greeting, we knew that our night was going to be so much fun! We will miss you so much! We love you ! We are so blessed that you entered our lives and made it full of light, love, and laughter! Love, Jean and Wayne Belanger "

Johnson Family wrote on Feb 13, 2018:

"Foster family, you have been in our prayers daily. We pray that peace and comfort come into your lives and that Allen is granted Eternal Rest. So sorry for your loss."

Alaina Jacobs wrote on Feb 13, 2018:

"Ohhh how incredibly thankful I am for the many opportunities you gave me. Anywhere from tubing at the lake, grilling burgers, to drinking your world-famous milkshakes...things that I would've never gotten to experience without you. I have never had a bad moment in your presence. You were always there for me. Whether it was giving me a last minute ride to a basketball game, or grocery shopping for a bunch of junk food that we never told my mom about...and even helping me with my homework on game nights. In fact, the last time I saw you was at my volleyball tournament that you came to support me at. That is such a great memory that I hold so close now because I didn't appreciate it as much as I should have that day. You were my second dad, and if it wasn't you, i sure don't know who was! But I am so honored to call u a father-like figure in my life. From, Alaina Jacobs "

Marc Ganser wrote on Feb 13, 2018:

"Allen had a way to bringing a lot of energy and joy. Every encounter I had with him and his family left me inspired and in great spirits. I am so sorry for you Shawn and the kids. Please let me know if there is anything I can do. I love to cook and can drop off supper. Marc Ganser"

The Jacobs Five wrote on Feb 13, 2018:

"We are grateful to you, Allen, for the belly laughs, amazingly fun experiences, and immense joy that you brought to The Jacobs Five over the years. How blessed we were to have you as our friend! We'll remember zipping around the lake and game nights into the wee hours. We'll remember your amazing lumberjack breakfasts. We'll remember your generosity and how you enhanced our lives by giving so selflessly. You were always quick with a witty joke and always up for laughs and spontaneous adventure. We will remember you as a dedicated family man who loved his people (and dogs) fiercely. We will remember you as full of life, joyful, happy, hard-working, funny, and proud. We promise to find ways to show that your spirit lives on. Be at peace, dear dear friend. We'll see you on the other side. Save us a good spot, and have the cards and snacks ready when we get there. Will love you and miss you - so much - forever. Much love from The Jacobs Five"

The Buske Family wrote on Feb 13, 2018:

"Our sympathies to the Foster family during this difficult time. We will keep you in our thoughts and prayers. "

Mary Schmidt wrote on Feb 12, 2018:

"Tyler and family, We are very sorry for your loss. Thinking of you during this difficult time. Mary, John and Tyler Schmidt (Edgewood HS)"

Nick Burrows wrote on Feb 12, 2018:

"Foster Family :I am so sorry for your loss.Keep the great memories closest to your hearts forever .......Mr. Burrows Edgewood High School"

Henry Waters (skip) wrote on Feb 12, 2018:

"Tyler, I am sorry for your lost and I pray for you and your family. My condolences, Skip Waters. "

Anne Baranski wrote on Feb 12, 2018:

"Shawn, we are so very sorry for your loss. Wishing you all peace, comfort, and happy memories of special times."