Robert Allen Foskett Resident of Moraga Bob, 67, passed away on July 1 after a short battle with leukemia. Bob was born Aug. 18, 1944, in Oakland to William Walter and Mary Dodge Foskett. He attended Piedmont schools, graduating from Piedmont High in 1962. He was later inducted into the Piedmont Sports Hall of Fame for his success in basketball, football, and track and field, most notably shot put. Bob attended Menlo College in Atherton from 1962 to 1964. During his time there, he was selected as the Coast Conference Player of the Year in football. As a member of the track team, he set a Coast Conference record in the shot put. Bob then transferred to the University of Oregon where he lettered in football and track. He was honored to compete for Bill Bowerman (Olympic track and field coach and co-founder of Nike) as a member of the famed 1967 NCAA track and field championship team. He placed second in the Pac-8 conference and ranked in the NCAA conference top 10 in the shot put. While at Oregon, Bob was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity where he met some of his closest friends. A descendant of one of Contra Costa County's pioneering families, Bob has deep roots in the area. In 1969 he married his soul mate and best friend Cheryle, and they later settled in Moraga. He was very proud of his two children, Chris and Janelle. Bob spent 30 years in medical/surgical sales and management during which time he won various sales awards. Following his retirement, he became passionate about volunteerism, donating his time to Meals on Wheels and the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano counties. Bob will be remembered foremost for his devotion to his family whom he always made his number one priority. He was defined by his generosity, wisdom, selflessness and incredible sense of humor. He loved playing racquetball, walking the beach, traveling and spending time with his granddaughters. Bob was simply a good person to the core, and had a lasting impact on everyone in his life. Bob is survived by his wife Cheryle, son Chris (daughter-in-law Jennifer), daughter Janelle, sister Sally, brother Walt (sister-in-law Jean), and granddaughters Ella and Zadie. Donations can be made to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano counties (www.foodbankccs.org) and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (www.lls.org).
Published in East Bay Times on July 8, 2012