By Nicole Hamilton
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Lewis A. Foster, former dean of Cincinnati Bible Seminary and a member of the general editorial committee of the New International Version of The Bible, died Thursday at Mason Christian Village of heart failure. He was 82.

"He lived by two phrases," said his son, Dennis Foster of Landen, "'Keep facing the light,' and 'Make it a great day,' instead of 'Have a nice day.' He thought that we must take responsibility for making it a great day."

The Western Hills High School graduate studied at the Cincinnati Bible Seminary, where his father, R.C. Foster, was part of the founding faculty.

Mr. Foster went on to earn a bachelor's degree in history and philosophy from Indiana University and a bachelor's degree in divinity from Yale University.

In 1958, he completed his doctorate in history and philosophy of religion from Harvard School of Arts and Sciences.

Mr. Foster taught at the Cincinnati Bible Seminary from 1950 until 1990 - and was made dean of the graduate school in 1956, a position he held until 1974.

He served as minister of Western Hills Church of Christ.

Mr. Foster worked on several biblical translations, including the New International Version, which sold more than 100 million copies by 1996.

In 1987, he and his wife, Betty, began serving churches and seminaries around the world as Ambassadors of the Word. Mr. Foster lectured in places including New Zealand, India and Singapore.

Other survivors include his wife, Betty R. Foster of Mason; three daughters, Gail Jones of Bluffton, S.C., Beth Holzbauer of Urbana, Ohio, and Jane Ann Gutridge of Lehigh Acres, Fla.; a sister, Dorothy Fay Richards of Price Hill; 10 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. today at Dalbert, Woodruff & Isenogle Funeral Home. Service will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Bridgetown Church of Christ.

Burial will be in Arlington Cemetery, Mount Healthy.

E-mail nhamilton@enquirer.com