She was Jim Foster’s “Grande Dame”.
She kept Jim in line. She dressed and fed him- as well as Tilly Beekman- and I presume, Sharon was a sounding board for Mr. Foster’s special brand of ribald humour.
Sharon passed from this world to the next, at home, on Wednesday May 12th.
She e-mailed me towards the end of March- not long before Tom and I left for Hawaii. Reading between the lines in her e-mail, she seemed in good spirits and was waiting for medical advice. The last time I e-mailed her on April 20th- Jim replied.
He said she was under palliative care and was “amazingly cheerful”.
I am not surprised.
Sharon’s smile lit up a room. She always looked perfect- hair, makeup, clothes. She always greeted you with a smile, a kiss and a hug. I usually called her Mrs. Foster.
It was like a “title”.
“Hey Mrs. Foster, how are things?”
She would laugh, her eyes twinkling brightly from behind her fashionable eyewear.
That laugh was contagious! On stage you always knew Sharon was in the house!
I guess I can spread some gossip now.
Mrs. Foster and I had a date.
Once.
She took me to see her hubbie- Mr. Foster, perform one of his infamous Christmas Rants.
I mean what husband would expect a wife to bring a “boy toy date” to his show and sit right in the front row under the wash of the spotlights.
He never caught on. Tee Hee.
Now, really- although we called it a “date”, it was just an extra ticket she had for the show and she thought I might as well make use of it. Tom would be away on a flight anyway. She called me up to ask if I would like to go. I was free- so we dated.
We arrived and left- separately, however. We had to protect our reputation.
“What the hell reputation would that be?” she said.
The buffet style meal was good. The veggies were cold.
Good food. Good conversation. Many laughs. Our table was right down front. Well, I was attending with the “stars wife” after all!
I remember working the “sound” system for Mr. Foster that night.
OK.
The truth is, it was a just a CD player but “sound system” seems so much more theatrical.
Come to think of it, that “date” evening was the last time I saw Yvonne Lacey. Yvonne passed away from Cancer the following month. I got a good, long, loving hug from her.
“Let me know when the tickets go one sale for The Garage Door Players’ Spring Show”- she had said.
I knew in my heart she would never see us perform.
It's hard to believe that I am writing a blog about Sharon's passing.
Life sucks at times.
“Somewhere Over the Rainbow,
Way up high.
Birds fly over the Rainbow-
Why. Oh Why- can’t I?”
You can now girlfriend.
You’ll have your wings in no time.
Safe flight…..
