JOHN FOSTER was born in Partick, Glasgow, in 1920. In 1952, he joined the newly formed Peak Park Planning Board, effectively becoming the inaugural Chief Executive of the first national park in the United Kingdom. In 1968, he moved north of the border to lead the establishment of the Countryside Commission for Scotland. He retired in 1985, receiving a CBE in the New Year Honours List. In the years that followed he supported and enriched many public and academic institutions in Britain and overseas, bringing to each the benefits of his unique experience.