Charles “Chuck” Foster, U.S. Figure Skating president between 2003–05 and world- and national- level official, passed away on Nov. 20, 2021. He was 87.
Foster was involved in figure skating since childhood. He represented The Skating Club of Boston and was the 1955 U.S. junior pairs champion with Maribel Y. Owen.
A graduate of Harvard, he remained involved in the sport following his competitive career as a judge and a referee. Foster judged numerous international events, including the World Championships in 1976, 1979 and 1986. As a World referee, he served on panels at the 1981, 1987, 1998 and 1999 World Championships.
Foster was the assistant referee for the ladies event at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. Foster also judged the ladies event at the 1980 Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid.
Outside of the arena, Foster served on various boards and committees for U.S. Figure Skating, the International Skating Union and the United States Olympic Committee.
He was a vice president of U.S. Figure Skating in the late 1980s and was a member of the association’s board of directors for 17 years. He also served as the USFSA representative to the ISU from 1989 to 1990.
Foster was the United States Olympic Committee secretary from 1989 to 1996 and was the chef de mission for the 1992 U.S. Olympic Team in Albertville, France.
“He was one of the great international ambassadors of our time,” one colleague wrote. “There was nobody better in the global arena than the silver fox, who we will miss dearly but one who certainly made a huge contribution to the Olympic movement.”
Foster was inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2003.
