Even if you never met Evelyn Foster, there's a good chance she's made her mark in your life.

Foster, a longtime Brevard resident whose philanthropy in local health care stretched across decades, died June 19, 2019. She was 91.

Raised in Alabama and a graduate of Auburn University's School of Interior Design, Foster came to Brevard in the 1960s with her husband, Warren. A dedicated wife and mother, Foster was always the first to step up and help others in need. Why? The Fosters had been fortunate in life only "by the grace of God," she has told others in the past, and the couple considered it "their responsibility to give back by helping others less fortunate."

"Evelyn, along with her late husband, Warren, gave generously to support Health First's programs and services for decades," said Steve Johnson, President and CEO of Health First. "In addition to serving as a trustee of the Health First Foundation, Evelyn worked tirelessly to help raise funds for nursing scholarships, helping our nurses earn advanced nursing degrees."

"While Evelyn will be terribly missed by her children, grandchildren and the community, her legacy lives on through the thousands of individuals and families whose lives have been and will continue to be touched by the many programs and services she has helped make possible," Johnson said.

A woman of strong faith, Foster's dedication to her community goes back more than 50 years, with service to the Health First Foundation, the American Cancer Society, the Cancer Care Centers of Brevard Foundation, Breast Friends and First United Methodist Church of Melbourne.

She and her husband, Warren, funded the first echocardiography machine at Health First's Holmes Regional Medical Center. Evelyn was also the founding Chairwoman for the Women's Advisory Council.

While Foster's good deeds were not limited to a particular cause, her generosity and spirit had a lasting impact on Health First, Brevard's community healthcare system. A Health First Foundation Board of Trustees member since March 2001, Foster also served on the Foundation's Executive Board, in addition to chairing special committees with the nonprofit.

In 2012, Foster helped spearhead the original endowment committee for the Mike Means and Larry Garrison Endowment for Nursing Excellence, alongside Chairman Rusty Fischer. Through these efforts, 83 scholarships and nearly $232,000 have been awarded to Health First nurses returning to school for advanced nursing degrees.

Foster and her late husband have been recognized through the Foundation's Society of Founders and Legacy Society for their contributions to Health First programs and services. This has included supporting the Project HOPE mobile health unit (now Brevard Health Alliance mobile clinic), the William Childs Hospice House, the Heart Center at Holmes Regional, Health First Cancer Institute, the Health Science Reference Library (named for Warren and Evelyn Foster) at Holmes Regional, Women & Children services, Emergency and Trauma services, the Serenity Garden at Holmes Regional and more.