Obituaries

of Garden City, Michigan, age 87, died Friday, February 16, 2024, at Optalis Health and Rehabilitation of Canton. He was born February 18, 1936, in Detroit, Michigan, the son of William MacLean and Marguerite A. (Wagner) Foster.

Bill graduated from Fordson High School in 1954, then earned a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering from Wayne State University. On June 16, 1962, he married Karen R. Kurtz, and they were married for 57 years, and for 52 of those years, they lived in their house in Garden City, Michigan. Together, they enjoyed traveling which included many camping trips throughout the United States and, in retirement, cruises with close friends to Hawaii, the Mediterranean, and Australia.

He worked as a civil engineer for the Michigan Department of Transportation, for over 30 years, retiring in 1996. He worked on many of the Detroit area highways, especially I-696 and the I-94/Merriman Rd interchange near the Detroit Metro Airport. He was an active member of the MDOT retirees and enjoyed going to their monthly luncheons.

At home he enjoyed all kinds of woodworking and woodturning projects, and regularly attended meetings with the Michigan Woodturners.

He also put his engineering skills to work at his beloved “camp”, the family cabin in Canada, spending many summers there building additions and sheds and memories with his family. We will always think of him when we go out boating on Lake Superior.

Karen preceded him in death on April 12, 2020. Survivors include a daughter, Diane (Tom) Sampson of Belmont, Michigan; two grandchildren, Paul (Regan) Sampson of California & Emily Sampson currently of Mississippi; and many nieces and nephews.

A private family service will be held at a later date. Those wishing to express their sympathies may make memorial contributions to the Michigan Parkinson Foundation. 

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