OBITUARY.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume V, Issue 1427, 9 September 1918, Page 4 (Supplement)

OBITUARY.

MR T. S. FOSTER. TII2 death occurred last evening of Mr Thomas Seholfield Foster, whose re- j situation of the position of Principal of j the Normal Training College was accepted with deep regret by the Canterbury Education Board at its mooting on Friday last. The late Mr Foster was born iu London in 1853, and arrived at Wellington on Decinber HI, 185(5, with, his parents in the ship Philip Lang. The family came at once u> Lyttelton, and ; settled in Canterbury. Mr Foster com-j meiicod his education at the Kangiora j Church School, and having gaiued a Homes Scholarship, removed to Christ-j chun-h to attend Christ's College for I six- vcars. fie was appointed master 1 of the Church School at Addington, and in 187-1, when it was taken over by the j West Cliviste.hureh School Committee, he j was appointed lirst assistant master at the main school. In May, 1881, he; joined, the staff of the Christchureh j Boys' High School, and a year later lie returned to the West Christchurc.h School as headmaster. Mr Foster graduated B.A. Nt Canterbury College in ]SBI, and in the following year he took his MA. degree with first-class honours j in languages and literature. lie had been a member or the Xew Zealand Educational Institute for many years.. serving on the executive and holding the position of president ou several occasions. He had also been president of the North Canterbury Education Institute, Canterbury College Dialectic Society, and of the T'niversity Court of Convocation, tie was chairman also of

the Canterbury College Graduates' Association, anil a member of the govornjing body of Christ's College. Mr .'Foster was appointed inspector i of schools in North Canterbury en leaving the West Christ-ehnrc-h School ami. evontuallv, on the Lb-nth of Mr T. Ritchie, he beeani" senior inspector. When Mr WatkinI died suddenly, Mr Foster was appointed J'l incip.nl of the Normal Training College. While occupying the position of inspector, Mr Poster was unable to j]-nrtiripate in the a flairs of the Tea.hit'is' Institute, but after li-is appointment ito the Training College he again took ';ii' active interest in the work, and was j appointed South Island representative ■ lit' male leadiers on the Council of Education when it was formed. IFe w:i< a I'iroinineiit Freemason and a pa t j Warden of the Grand Lodge of Ca;Iteilmry. For many years Mr Foster ! was a member of the vestry of St. Michael's Church, of which he was :i prominent member, and retired only re. t-.intly, on account uf ill-health. Th" [late Mr Foster took a particularly keen interest in the Albion Rujrby Football j Ciub— now the Aibion Addingtou (Mali —and gave yeoman sen ice to it in jiianv wins. For many vears he was . president ' of the dub.' and was then ! patron of it. occupying these positions j for about ■"■" yr.-n's in all. The docoasjed gentleman was married in IS.s:! to la dangliter of the late Mr W. tiiii-c ' Ibittan. His wife prodo, cased him by |L'I years leavii-.g n family of one sua land two daughters.