Tom Foster

Tom Foster ’88 (MA), ’90 (PhD) was always at his wife’s side. This was especially so during the three years that Julietta was treated for brain cancer at the Wilmot Cancer Institute. Tom became deeply affected by those he knew were struggling with the practicalities surrounding their care. He met patients who had to decide whether to take their medicine or buy groceries for their kids; whether to pay the electric bill or go for radiation. Tom wanted to help, but didn’t know how. After Julietta passed away in 2013, Tom met with the social work team at Wilmot and the planned giving experts at the University of Rochester to learn how he could make a difference for patients in need. He then added the University to his will and set up a charitable remainder trust—an estate gift that would allow him to honor his wife’s memory, provide for their two daughters in the future, and become a perpetual source of support for Wilmot’s patient-needs fund. Through Tom’s generosity, and in Julietta’s memory, the Foster Endowment for Cancer Patient and Caregiver Needs will lift barriers to patient care forever.