Juanita Hicks Foster

Juanita Hicks Foster passed away peaceful on February 16, 2015. She was preceded in death by her husband, Fred Foster; parents, Verdie Allen Hicks and Angie Lee Gilreath Hicks; sister, Mary Hicks Martin; and brother, Harold Hicks. Left to honor and remember Juanita are her niece, Polly Martin Carroll; nephew, Daniel Matson and his wife Ginger; great niece Mary Ann Carroll; great nephews Chris Carroll and Nick Matson and his wife Stacy, all of Little Rock; sister-in-law Iva A. Hicks of Paragould; stepdaughter, Jacqueline Rodriquez of San Diego, CA, and her children; John Chacon, James Rodriguez, Richard Rodriguez. Juanita was born in Mount Pisgah, Arkansas on August 9, 1924. She attended Heber Springs High School and was crowned Miss Cleburne County in 1941. After graduation, she took a train to move to California. Juanita Iived in San Diego and attended the San Diego School of Art. While in San Diego, she met First Lieutenant Fred Foster when he returned from the Pacific serving as a Navy pilot. They married and were together for over 40 years. They moved to Coco, Florida where Fred was an engineer at Cape Canaveral. After Fred retired, they returned to Arkansas. Juanita was of the Catholic faith. During her lifetime, she won trophies for sports car rallies, attended missile launches a the Cape, vacationed in Havana, won several golf tournaments, attended bullfights in Mexico and received ribbons at flowers shows. She was active in the Saline County Humane Society and was selected as Volunteer of the year in 1997. Juanita voted Democratic from Roosevelt to Clinton, and was invited to board Air Force One during a stop in Little Rock. She was an avid gardener and no one loved parties more than Juanita Foster. Juanita was a strong willed woman who appreciated any point of view as long as you agreed with her and did it her way. The family wishes to thank Arkansas Hospice and Elmcroft of Maumelle for their compassionate care during her last year. Juanita was a supporter of many charities including the Humane Society and the Marianist Sisters. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to any charity of your choice in her memory. Juanita and Fred had no children of their own but were especially close to their niece and nephew, Polly and Danny. We are forever grateful to have had them in our lives. Arrangements are through Griffin Leggett Healey and Roth Funeral Home, 5800 East 12th St. in Little Rock. Guest register is at wwwgriffinleggetthealeyroth.com. Burial will be private. A celebration of her life will be held at a later date.