Carlton Daniel Foster, better known as Dan, 73, of Winona passed in the early morning hours of March 28, 2022.
He was born on April 30, 1948, to Antoinette Jiovanie "Jean" Carotenuto and Clarence "Chuck" George Foster in Montrose, Pennsylvania. They later moved to Brooklyn, New York.
In 1966, Dan joined the Navy and served until 1978. Much to the chagrin of their mother, Dan finagled his way onto older brother Ron’s ship, though this did not stop her from sending them bottles of booze hidden in fruitcakes (much to the delight of the crew). Dan served on the USS Dubuque, USS New Jersey, and on a “Gator” as a Division 1 Boatswain’s Mate.
After his time in the Navy, he met and married his first wife, Joyce Linda Foster, and had two children: Matthew and Theresa. After their divorce, Dan noticed a need for contractors in Winona, Minnesota and jumped at the opportunity. Soon after, he met his second wife, Mary Delora Maze, and had three more children: Dominick, Joseph, and Danielle.
Dan spent many years in Winona working two jobs to support his family. He woke up every day at 4 AM to put in 8 hours at We-No-Nah Canoe where he was a respected ‘old timer.’ After a quick snack and hello to the kids at home, he then went off to client appointments, hauling giant rolls of carpet, or picking up supplies for his one-man (and sometimes son) flooring company. By his estimate, nearly half the town and businesses (including riverboats!) know the benefits of his decades of experience.
When not busting his tail, Dan’s kids would say his favorite evening activity was passing out in front of the big screen in the basement. His reaction to that would likely be a chuckle followed by a creative rebuke - he was nothing if not creative with expletives.
Other hobbies included a great love of fishing and camping with family and friends, hoarding and then discharging large amounts of ammo at the gun range, flying remote control planes on beautiful days, and building ship and plane models. More than once, Dan built large-scale models of Navy ships that were fully waterproof and remote-controlled: the battleships USS Missouri and USS Wisconsin, and the supercarrier USS Nimitz complete with year-accurate model planes on deck.
Carlton Daniel’s family and close friends will miss him dearly and hold onto memories of his jokes, stories, evenings spent viewing Saturn and Mars through the telescope, annoying the neighbors with his mini cannon on the 4th of July, the uncanny resemblance to Santa Claus in his 50s during the holidays, the snoring, and his heart-stopping version of the Dad Sneeze.
He is survived by brother Ron and sister Lisa, ex-wife Joyce, wife Mary; children Matthew, Theresa, Dominick (wife Courtney), Joseph (wife Jenn), and Danielle (husband Nick); grandchildren Glen, Alysa (husband Josh), Valerie, Vince, Vance, Valkyrie, Aurelia Mae, and Rosemary June; great-grandchildren Hailey, Haven, and Hope. He is preceded in rest by his mother, father, and brother Steven.
A celebration of Dan’s life will be held from 1 PM until 4 PM on Saturday, May 21, 2022, at Signatures in Winona. The American Legion Leon J. Wetzel Post 9 of Winona will provide military honors at 2 PM.
Dan’s family would appreciate memorials to his favorite charity, the St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.
Online condolences or memories may be left for Dan’s family at www.watkowski-mulyck.com.
Watkowski-Mulyck Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
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