Obituary of Foster Stevenson Crook

Foster Stevenson “Terry” Crook died peacefully at home in hospice care with his daughter, Anne, by his side on July 13, 2024, of congestive heart failure. He was 91.

Terry was born on April 28, 1933, in Hartford, CT, to William Gregor and Laura Foster (Keenan) Crook. His mother wanted to call him Terry, but disliked the name Terrence, and in those days, putting a “nickname” on a birth certificate was Not Done, so she used her mother’s maiden name, Foster, and derived Terry from the last three letters.

He graduated from Harvard in 1955, where he met Sue Weaver. They married on July 10, 1956, and lived in Boston for 5 years; Terry worked in corporate sales and Sue was a homemaker. They moved to Needham, MA, in 1961, where they raised three children. In 1986 Terry left corporate sales to become a Realtor. After Sue retired in 1998, they moved to Chapel Hill, NC, to help care for two of their four granddaughters. Terry continued to work part-time as a Realtor with Coldwell Banker until his retirement in 2014.

Terry enjoyed camping and kept logs of all the family’s trips. He was also an active member of the Needham Militia, a re-enactment group formed a few years before the bicentennial in 1976, where he portrayed the Rev. Samuel West, a historic Revolutionary War figure from Needham.

Terry traveled all over the world and loved meeting new people and making connections; it’s safe to say he never met a stranger. His priority as a sales professional was to understand the customer’s needs and meet them. He brought this same service ethic to the Town of Needham, where he was a long-time Town Meeting member and Youth Commissioner.

Terry is survived by his son and daughter-in-law Stephen and Kathi Crook of Reading, MA; his son Rich Crook of Carrboro, NC; his daughter and son-in-law Anne and Chris Lutes of Chapel Hill, NC; granddaughters Megg (Crook) Joosten (and Geoffrey Joosten) of Redmond, WA, Laura Crook (and Lauren Bouchard) of Portland, OR, Rachel Lutes of Lansing, MI, and Sarah Lutes of Lansing, MI; and one great-grandson, Seamus Joosten. He is preceded in death by his beloved wife, Sue Weaver Crook (September 13, 2023) and his brothers, William Gregor Crook Jr. and Robert Crook.

A funeral mass will be held on Monday July 29, 2024, at10:30 am at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Chapel Hill, followed by interment in the columbarium and a reception. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to St. Thomas More or Heifer International. Walker’s Funeral Home in Chapel Hill is assisting the family.