Funeral services were held this week for Matthew Foster, 23, of South Portland, who went missing in Portland’s Old Port on June 10 and whose body was found in Portland Harbor on June 22.

Foster’s family could not be reached for comment before deadline Tuesday, but his father, Mark Foster, told the Current’s sister paper, The Forecaster, last week, that he was “a tremendous kid, he truly had a heart of gold.”

Mark Belserene, spokesman for the Office of the State Medical Examiner, said an autopsy on Matthew Foster’s body was completed last Wednesday, but further tests were pending in order to focus on potential factors in Foster’s death, other than drowning.

Portland Police Lt. James Sweatt said Foster’s body was discovered in the water between Widgery and Union wharves. Earlier, divers had searched at nearby Chandler’s Wharf without success. Foster was reported missing after he failed to meet friends in the Old Port. He was reportedly last seen at the Oasis nightclub on Wharf Street.

In his obituary, Matthew Foster was described as being “very competitive in nature” as well as “a talented athlete who loved all sports and excelled in golf, (which) he played at the collegiate level.”

The obituary added, “Matt always had an optimistic outlook on life and always had a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye, despite some of the hurdles that life threw at him. He had a heart of gold and always put (the needs of) others before his (own). Above all else, Matt loved his family dearly and held them close to his heart.”

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Foster graduated from South Portland High School in 2011 and attended the Holy Cross School during his elementary and middle school years. Most recently he worked at CBS Lobster.

He is survived by his father, sisters Danielle Foster and fiancé Eliot Pickering, Michelle Foster and Grace Foster, all of South Portland. He is also survived by his grandfather, Michael Littlefield of Florida, along with numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and close friends.

A Mass of Christian Burial for Foster was celebrated on June 28 at Holy Cross Church, and interment followed at Calvary Cemetery in South Portland.

A closer look

Memorial contributions in honor of Matthew Foster may be made to Holy Cross School, 436 Broadway, South Portland, Maine 04106. To view Foster’s memorial page or to share an online condolence see www.ConroyTullyWalker.com.

Matthew Foster


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