By Susan Shinn Turner
For the Salisbury Post

CHAPEL HILL — Jean Owen sits in the sun-filled lobby of Carol Woods Retirement Community, coffee cup in hand.

She wants to talk about one thing, and that is Foster Owen.

Foster, Jean’s husband of 54 years, died five years ago. This year’s “A ‘Bury Home Companion,” a fundraiser for the Salisbury Symphony Orchestra, is paying tribute to Foster, a longtime assistant city manager.

“I was so surprised they would want to do this,” she says.

Jean’s eyes well with tears, but they are happy tears.

“He would have been so thrilled and humbled by it,” she says. “And he would have been right there on the stage with them.”

After retiring from his duties at City Hall, Foster seemed to be everywhere in downtown Salisbury, hanging out in coffee shops, playing Santa Claus for neighbors’ children at Christmastime, singing in a barbershop quartet, attending symphony concerts or theater shows with Jean, and playing his banjo and baritone in any number of venues.

Music was close to Foster’s heart, and it is close to Jean’s, too. She still comes to Salisbury occasionally for symphony concerts.

She was so moved by the gesture to recognize Foster that she decided to be the lead donor for the symphony’s flagship fundraiser. She said last year’s show was better than the “Prairie Home Companion” she saw live in Minnesota.

Other major donors include Catawba College, Gerry Hurley, John and Pam Schaffer, Livingstone College, and Wallace & Graham.

Jean will be making the trip from Chapel Hill to be in the audience on Aug. 24. Somehow, you get the feeling Foster will be there, too.