Honorary fire chief known for his smile dies after decades on NC force. ‘Sorely missed’
A longtime North Carolina parade announcer “always had a smile on his face and a joke in his back pocket.”
William Harold “Hop” Foster — who also served as an honorary fire chief — died after decades on the force in Western North Carolina. He was in his 80s.
“Saluda has truly lost a dedicated servant of the community,” according to an obituary posted on the McFarland Funeral Chapel website.
Foster joined the volunteer department in the 1950s, “serving in every capacity possible from chief to later president of the board of directors,” according to the obituary and a Jan. 5 Facebook post from the Saluda Fire and Rescue Department.
“He was always super proud of our accomplishments and was always a team player,” the fire department wrote.
In addition to his role as a firefighter, Foster was involved with a local school, funeral home and the Saluda United Methodist Church. He enjoyed golfing and looked forward to being an emcee at the annual Coon Dog Day festival and parade, according to his obituary and the Times-News of Hendersonville.
Foster became synonymous with the event, which in the past has drawn lots of dogs and thousands of people to Saluda, a town of about 700, according to history and tourism websites. The event reportedly was created in the 1960s after people sought to restore the area’s raccoon population.
Officials said Foster, who had been married for 62 years, “will be sorely missed.” That sentiment was echoed on Facebook, where more than a dozen people mourned his death.
“He was a good man and loved his community and it showed in his commitment to all things Saluda,” one person commented on the fire department’s post.
Another person wrote: “Boy did he love golfing! I remember him telling me how great my swing was and how I valued his knowledge.”
Saluda is roughly 35 miles southeast of the mountain tourist destination of Asheville.
This story was originally published January 6, 2023 at 11:43 AM with the headline "Honorary fire chief known for his smile dies after decades on NC force. ‘Sorely missed’."
