Eulogy of DENNIS EUGENE FOSTER aka Ronnie Love; was born November 13, 1950, to Heloise Hampton and Oscar Foster, Jr. in Bessemer AL., and transitioned peacefully on March 22, 2018, at his home in Stone Mountain, GA.
The family moved to Cincinnati, OH when he was 2-years old, where he later attended Washburn Elementary School. He moved to Cleveland, OH to live with his dad and graduated from Robert A. Taft High School in Cincinnati with the class of 1969.
Dennis completed his freshman year of College at Cleveland State Univ., then transferred to Knoxville College in TN. There he met James Brown “Godfather of Soul” and became “Ronnie Love”, a radio announcer on Mr. Brown’s station, WJBE. He completed his last 2 years of college at the Univ. of TN with a BS in Business Administration
With his BS degree in hand, Dennis moved to Nashville and worked as an underwriter for Aetna Insurance, a disk jockey, and opened a nightclub on the famous Printer’s Alley. Two years later he moved to Cincinnati as a Marketing representative for Hartford Insurance.
In 1981 Dennis moved to San Rafael CA as a National Marketing Program Manager for Fireman’s Fund Insurance. He later received a Master’s in Marketing at Golden State University, worked at Pacific Bell, Citibank, as real estate appraiser, used car dealer, job career franchiser. He later moved to Atlanta, GA and worked as a web designer, internet manager, and DJ on WJBE Radio in Knoxville, TN and WIGO Radio in Atlanta, GA.
Dennis died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Stone Mountain, GA on March 22, 2018. He is survived by his ex-wife Barbara Floyd, son, Paige Foster, sisters Eloise Cobbins & Sandra Foster, brothers, Al Hampton, Thomas Foster, and Oscar Foster III, and a host of loving family, friends, and colleagues.”
THE FOLLOWING IS A HEARTFELT MEMORIAL by: MICHAEL A. MOWATT, Jr.
He was the one who came up with the name and initial concept for my broadcast show on WJBE, The Soul School Cafe. Every week we’d go over a show idea. He’d send me a huge playlist, and I’d try to figure out a connection to string between the 4 hours of tunes. I’d end up calling him — very unsure of myself. “Gitcha’ shit together, and make it happen, dummy!”
I appreciated his straightforwardness, he didn’t beat around the bush. If something was stupid, he immediately called it out as such. My first intro to my show sounded like, “The boredom hour,” with your host, “Random Idiot who’s never listened to the radio before.”
I listened in on Boogie, Jerry Mason, as he worked the mic, felt the music, and BECAME the radio. I took note, reworked my intro with the help of Lar’Juanette Williams‘ smooth, sultry voice as the foundation; gathered up voice samples from Miss Patricia Williams, Lady Ladd, Keaira Brewer, Britney Stuart, Elaine Libbey, JLive James Upshaw, Rev. Gene Thomas Jr., Boogie, Ronnie, and even Joe Armstrong; and presented my new opening. Ronnie was like, “Wow… Now, that sounds like an event! You’d better hope whatever you do after that intro lives up to the hype.”
He was a dependable sounding wall, implicitly trustworthy, and a true friend. Ronnie Love was a good person, not because he believed that there was some invisible space-voyeur deity watching his every move; our beloved brother just wanted to be a good person. He was literally ‘good, for goodness’ sake’.
It’s a wonder, how the paths of life cross and sometimes tangle; the people who we meet and bond with along the way… People can greet me with a, “How you doing?” and, in all honesty, even in my worst moments, I would feel like the biggest asshole who ever lived if I ever attempted to complain; I’ve walked with angels and giants.
For all the outright evil I’ve done I’ve somehow been given a list of beloved friends who have compelled me to be a far, far better person than I could have been without their strong hearts challenging mine. I learned from my most beloved aunt, Mrs. Evon Bedford, one of the most important life lessons one can be taught; whatever you need to say, say it while you have time. I’m so very glad I listened.
To all my friends/family, you already know I appreciate you, you already know I love you — make absolutely certain that your loved ones KNOW that you love them too. Teach it to your children so that they don’t have to learn it the hard way. Our final chances are zooming towards us at the speed of life.
May we receive from life what we put into it; fair tidings.