Eight Bells: Bert Foster

Albert O. ‘Bert’ Foster

Albert “Bert” Foster of Spring Park, MN, formerly of Deephaven, passed away at the age of 80 on May 22, 2017.

Bert graduated from St. Louis Country Day School ’54, and Cornell University ’60. He also attended Harvard Business School Executive Program. He was CEO of Cir-Tec and American Plastics Exchange, and also was a broker at Dean Witter. Bert represented the City of Deephaven on the Lake Minnetonka Conservation District board for 17 years and served as chair from 2001-2004.

An avid sailor, Bert was an early member of Wayzata Yacht Club (Wayzata, MN). He served on the WYC and Wayzata Community Sailing Center boards for many years. He was Race Committee Chair for most of that time, and was Commodore from 1975-1976.

In addition to winning countless championships at WYC, Bert also officiated at many out of town regattas including Bayfield Race Week and LOWISA for multiple decades.

“Bert was one of those unsung supporters of sailing throughout his lifetime,” shared Chris Shining. “His love for small boat one-design racing kept him active in the upper Midwest sailing scene as his life-long passion.”

Known for inviting new sailors to the club, especially women, Bert ran a new sailor training program with Ernest Brody for many decades. Through the years, many crew members and boat owners were introduced to sailing through the “Bert and Ernie” show, and the Wayzata Yacht Club now has more women sailors as a percentage of membership than any yacht club in the world.

“He was a huge advocate of teaching the sport he loved to anyone that would listen,” added Shinning. “It is the support of advocates like Bert, his beloved Wayzata Yacht Club, and the dedicated Midwest sailors he mentored that are so vital for our sport.”

An avid hunter, Bert suffered a disabling hunting accident in 1967. This disability allowed Bert to qualify as a member of the United States Disabled Sailing Team from 2007-2011, competing in regattas all over the world.

In 2015 Bert was awarded the WYC inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award.

There will be a celebration of Bert’s life on Saturday, August 5th at Wayzata Yacht Club at 2pm. It was Bert’s wish that memorial gifts be directed to the Wayzata Community Sailing Center or St. Martin’s by-the-Lake Church in Minnetonka Beach, MN.

Source: Star Tribune