Craig Foster

Craig Foster, 56, of Lac du Flambeau passed away on Sunday, February 25. He was a devoted and loving husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather, son, brother, and uncle.

Craig was born on April 30, 1967, in Cleveland, Ohio to Ron and Sharlene Foster. As a young boy, Craig loved playing outdoors with friends and causing mischief, and as he got older would excel in sports like football, wrestling, and racquetball. His mischief grew as well — reportedly culminating in epic tales that included car surfing and a fire that burned down his family barn in Batavia, Ill.

Craig’s ties to the Northwoods run deep, starting as a boy when his family would vacation in the Minocqua area, and leading to a lifelong love for and connection to the Northwoods. When he was in high school, his parents bought a cabin on Big Crawling Stone Lake, where they spent every summer. It was here that Craig met the love of his life, Terri Lockwood, who also spent summers on the Flambeau chain. They spent countless hours and days skiing from dawn to dusk, developing a shared passion that would last a lifetime. When summer ended they would write letters to each other to stay connected.

Craig would go on to attend college at the University of Colorado, Boulder, before transferring to Southern Illinois University to be with Terri. Out of college, Craig was a traveling salesman, and famously traded in sporting goods he bartered for Terri’s wedding ring at a pawn shop. On April 4, 1992, they were married at United Methodist Church in Plainfield, Ill. Shortly thereafter, Craig started working for his father’s company, Hodgman Wader Co, becoming their director of marketing. In this role, his creativity shined, and he came up with many successful and clever marketing and ad campaigns.

Craig and Terri had two children, Austin (born June 10, 1995) and Kyle (born February 4, 1998). They wasted no time introducing them to the Northwoods, spending all summer on the lake. Craig was instrumental in teaching both of his sons to ski, slalom ski, and barefoot. In winter, they spent long days out on the snowmobile, a hobby that would also become a special lifetime pursuit.

In 2004 Craig took a leap of faith, and armed with his creativity, work ethic, and duck hunting shotgun, started his own business. He would go on to produce and host one of the longest running outdoor shows on television, The Flyway Highway. For 13 years, many great memories were made and tales created on the road from Canada and the Dakotas, down to Arkansas and Louisiana, and everywhere in between, waterfowl hunting and filming. His family was and is incredibly proud of him and the show he created.

Retiring to the area full time in 2014, Craig and his family continued to enjoy the Northwoods year round. Craig continued to spend summers skiing with his family, and eventually would love watching Austin and Kyle ski in the Min-Aqua Bats Waterski Club.

Craig was a lifelong motorcycle rider, amassing an impressive collection over the years that made him proud and Terri crazy. He would go on trips to places such as Colorado and Arkansas on his bike. He was also a lifelong weightlifter, and was proud to have taught his two sons one of his great passions from an early age. He could deadlift over 500 pounds well into his 50s. His favorite winter activity continued to be snowmobiling with Terri, Austin, and Kyle. In summers he was an accomplished barefoot waterskier — keeping track of how many times he went each summer, and making a point to be the first in the area to go after ice out, and the last to go after snow would start to fall again. Craig was also well read on military history, current events, car detailing, and motorcycle classifieds.

More than anything, Craig was a devoted family man. He deeply loved his wife and children, and his greatest joy in life was spending time with them. He would provide for them countless blessings that we are all grateful for. His granddaughter, Jane, especially brought him great joy over the past nearly two years. His family is so proud of him, and loves him so dearly. He will be missed immensely. Craig is preceded in death by his father, Ronald. Craig is survived by his wife, Terri; sons, Austin (Megan) and Kyle; grandchildren, Jane and soon to be Wilson; mother, Sharlene; brother, Daniel Sr (Jennifer); nephews, Daniel Jr and Brek; Nieces, Emily and Brooklyn; in-laws Jerry and Linda; and sister-in-laws Tracy and Allison.

Rest in peace, Craig. You are loved.

Memorial gathering for Craig will be held on Sunday, March 3, at Nimsgern Funeral Home Chapel from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. with a memorial service at 1:30 p.m. followed by a reception.

Online condolences may be shared at www.nimsgernfuneral.com. Nimsgern Funeral & Cremation Services is serving the family.