Springfield businessman Bill Foster dies at 86

A longtime local businessman who has been called “Springfield’s best-kept secret” has died. Bill Foster was 86.

His son, John, vice president of Foster Hospitality Group LLC, said his father died this morning at Meyer Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Hospital at CoxHealth. The elder Foster, who was in rehabilitation for a leg problem, died of natural causes, John Foster said.

"He's gonna be missed, not just by us, but the community itself," his son said. "He spent a lot of time doing things in the community. He was a really warm and caring person.

"That's kind of how he ended up being in the business he was in. That's how it all started."

John Foster said the company, which employs 270 among eight assisted living facilities under the Culpepper Place name, now passes into the ownership of him, his brother Tony and his sister Kaye Foster-Gibson. John Foster said he would likely serve as president of the company his father was still active in.

Foster said the company is preparing to start construction on a facility in Bartlett, Tenn.

Earning Springfield Business Journal's Lifetime Achievement in Business Award a year ago, Bill Foster also received the Springfieldian and Missourian awards in recent years.