The family of William A. Foster, Sr. would like to notify the community of his passing on Sunday, January 18, 2026. Bill was born on August 30, 1932 in New York, New York. The son of Henry Aloysius Foster and Ann Catherine Dreton, he carried on as a thirdgeneration woodworker. In 1969, Bill met and later married Marian Tartaglia. Together, they owned and operated Fritz’s Italian Restaurant in Bay Shore which was started by Marian’s father, Feliciano “Fritz” Tartaglia in 1939. Bill was a member of the Bay Shore Fire Department on Long Island for 25 years. He moved up the ranks from second lieutenant to first lieutenant and on to captain of the Hook & Ladder before relocating to SC. He was known locally for the custom cabinets he designed and built here in Walterboro for over 35 years. Homes and businesses throughout the county have a vast assortment of kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities, bookcases, desks, gun cabinets and all manner of custom-designed woodwork to attest to his talents. Bill also worked nighttime security at Rockford Manufacturing in the industrial area. In addition to operating Foster’s Custom cabinet shop, he & Marian partnered with another local couple to open Washington Street Café in downtown Walterboro. They completely transformed the inside of what was once Moylan’s Gift Shop on Main Street, across from the waterfall. They later sold their share of Washington St. Café so Bill could focus solely on his thriving cabinet business. Since that time, there have been several eating establishments in that location. Most recently and perhaps the longest-running tenant was Carmine’s Trattoria. Known by many for his special brand of humor, he will be sadly missed by his faithful, loving caregivers Debbie, Donna, Lisa, Pat, Terry B and Terry P., and his team of personal attendants from Amedisys include Edna and the many other nurses, Chaplain Mike, and his trusty CNA Matthew who referred to him as “Wild Bill .” The family is eternally grateful for the care he was given over the past several years by this devoted team of individuals. In 2017, Bill lost both his wife Marian and oldest stepdaughter Diane. His two sons, Stephen and Bill, Jr. passed in 2020 and 2021. He is survived by several cousins and their families, one niece, two nephews and their families, two granddaughters, 3 great-grandchildren, 2 great great granddaughters, as well as his stepdaughter Julie and son-inlaw Joe Epple. He was a faithful supporter of Faith Church Walterboro. A time of remembrance is planned for Saturday, March 28, beginning at 1:00 pm, at 243 Cooler’s Dairy Road in Walterboro. All are invited to share a meal and memories in his honor as we celebrate a life well-lived.
