×

Assistant band director made impact

DEAR EDITOR:

All of us who had the pleasure of knowing Clinton Foster were saddened to hearing of his recent passing. Mr. Foster was the former assistant band director at Warren G. Harding High School and the band director at Warren Western Reserve.

For those who may not be able to enjoy Clinton’s presence any longer, spiritually, for those who knew Clinton well, he will be with us for our lifetimes. He had a tremendous impact on each and every student with whom he came in contact. Although somewhat soft spoken, he had an endearing charm, great leadership skills and an infectious talent for making people around him feel better about themselves and strive to be more successful.

Clinton Foster was the assistant band director at Harding when I was a student and member of the Harding band and orchestra. Being a member of the marching band was a microcosm of what it takes to be successful in life — hard work, sacrifice, preparation, perspiration, dedication and the desire to strive to perfection. Mr. Foster had a passion for his vocation and had the ability to transfer that enthusiasm to his students. Perhaps our proudest achievement was our performance in the 1964 Chicago All-Star game at Soldier Field before 80,000 attendees and a TV audience of 10 million people. Like many others, I didn’t have the talent to make music my profession, but the instruction, guidance and encouragement he gave us made us successful in other endeavors.

His legacy is the thousands of students on whom he had a positive impact. The lessons we received from Clinton went well beyond the music classroom. I, and several generations of students and parents, are deeply indebted to him, and he will be in our memory for the remainder of our lives.

CARL MANOFSKY

Oak Brook, Ill.

1965 Harding band president

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
     

Starting at $4.85/week.

Subscribe Today