Matthew “Matt” Duane Foster April 10, 1955 ~ August 10, 2026 (age 71)

A service celebrating the life of Matt Foster, MD life will be held Saturday, August 22, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at University Baptist Church, 1012 W. 15th Street, Portales, New Mexico with Rev. Steve Smith officiating. Burial will follow at Portales Cemetery, 1600 E. 3rd Street.

Matthew “Matt” Duane Foster, M.D., 71, passed away peacefully after a short illness on Monday, August 10, 2026, in Lubbock, Texas. A devoted husband, father, son, brother, grandfather, and physician, Matt will be remembered for his compassionate heart, steady presence, and lifelong commitment to caring for others.

Matt was born on April 10, 1955, in Roswell, New Mexico, to Charles Lindy Foster and Vera Mae Smith Foster. He spent his early years in Roswell and Lake Arthur before his family moved to Portales when he began high school. A strong student, he graduated among the top ten in his class from Portales High School in 1973. He went on to earn his degree from Eastern New Mexico University in 1977, On Dec. 17, 1977 in Portales, he was married to Krista Martin.  He then began medical school at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque in 1978. He received his medical degree in 1982 and completed his family medicine residency in Wichita, Kansas, in 1985.

Matt and his family returned to Roswell, where he joined the practice of Dr. Charles Fenzi. He practiced family medicine there for seven years before following his calling into emergency medicine. Known as an excellent diagnostician and a calm, capable physician, he provided skilled and compassionate care to countless patients throughout New Mexico, Texas, and Colorado. He served as Director of the Emergency Department at Roosevelt County Hospital in Portales and as Director of Chaves County EMS. Over the course of his career, he also cared for patients in Artesia, Carlsbad, Alamosa, Colorado, Littlefield, and Brownfield. After moving to Lubbock in 2018, he continued doing the work he loved: helping people during some of their most difficult moments.

Matt was devoted to God and shared his gift of a tenor voice through the churches he attended. He was especially honored to sing with the First Methodist Church Choir when it premiered a chorale at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Since living in Lubbock, he was a member of the Westminster Presbyterian Church where he continued to sing in the choir.

Outside of medicine, Matt found joy in hunting, fishing, traveling, reading, tending his yard, and, above all, spending time with the people he loved. His family will cherish the memories of his quiet strength, generous spirit, and the care he brought to every part of his life.

Matt was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Vera Foster; his father-in-law, Billie Martin; mother-in-law, Jewel B. Martin; brother-in-law, Billy Andrew Martin; his grandmother, Edrie Smith; and several aunts and uncles.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 48 years, Krista Foster; his sons, Benjamin Foster and wife Bianca of Boulder City, NV, and Timothy Foster and wife Erika of Dallas, TX; his granddaughter, Lily Foster; his brother, Chuck Foster of Albuquerque, NM; his sister, Charla Richard and husband Bill of Edgewood, NM; and many cherished nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins.  He is also survived by a brother-in-law, David Martin of Clearwater, ID and two sisters-in-law, Sue Martin of Post Falls, ID and Stana Martin of Captain Cook, HI.

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