Lauraine (Laurie) Lee Foster, a cherished and respected member of the Louisville community, passed away peacefully on October 1, 2024, at the age of 57 while returning from vacation in Venice, Italy. Born on August 27, 1967, to Tom and Lauraine Johns.

Laurie was born in Pittsburgh, PA but moved to Louisville at the age of 3, where she grew up with her mother Lauriane, father Tom and siblings Kelly, Cheryl, Tommy, and Crystal and her neighbor and lifelong best friend Laura Kline Lee.  Laurie is survived by her husband of 26 years, Steve and her two children, Bryan and Ashley, father Tom and brother and sisters.  Laurie is preceded in death by her mother Lauraine.

Laurie attended the University of Louisville to obtain her bachelor's and master's degrees in early childhood development.  She began her career teaching in Bullitt County, soon earning the position of Bullitt County schools Director of early childhood development.  She then moved to Oklahoma with Steve and taught in Oklahoma City until she had her first child.

Laurie resumed teaching several years later when her second child Ashley was old enough to attend school. She began teaching elementary school at her children's Christian school and remained there until they moved to Owasso in 2015.

Following her move, Laurie taught in Tulsa in an elementary school and was noted for her students' exceptional improvement regardless of where they placed the previous year.  This earned her the position of teaching the gifted and talented class spanning the entire school. She stated that she enjoyed this class the most since she could directly see how much she had impacted her students from previous years and help them continue to grow as exceptional children.

Laurie loved sharing her hobbies with her children in her free time.  Year-round, she taught her daughter Ashley to sew Christmas stockings for new members of the family.  She also spent plenty of time cooking and baking either for dinner or simply for a fun snack.  She has also stated that while she has tried to teach Bryan to cook as well, it hasn't stuck very well with him so far.  However, what did stick with him were the long conversations the two shared over just about any topic presented.

Described by all who knew her as kind hearted, loving, and cheerful, Laurie embodied these qualities regardless of what stood in her way.  She always approached challenges in life with a strong mind and a can-do attitude, ready to overtake any obstacles and hit the ground running.  Her greatest quality was a never-ending willingness to put others first, whether family, friends, or even her students.  Anyone that knew Laurie would say that they felt comfortable knowing they could turn to her for help and be met with open arms and a kind heart.

As we bid Laurie farewell, we celebrate a well-lived life and an impact that will be felt across hundreds of friends, family, and students for generations.  She was a pillar of strength to all that knew her and stayed resilient even through the toughest of times.

Special thanks to Dr Brett, Juanita Morgan, and the team at Hillcrest Memorial Hospital in Tulsa, OK.

A visitation will occur at Fern Creek Funeral Home at 5406 Bardstown Rd, Louisville KY 40291 on Saturday, October 12th at 3-6pm with a service at 5:30pm. A separate memorial will be held in Tulsa, OK on October 19th with more details to follow.