Comedian Phil Foster Dies

Phil Foster, nightclub comedian and actor, died this morning at Eisenhower Medical Center in Palm Springs of heart failure, a family spokesman said. He was 72.

Foster, a Brooklyn-born comedian, was perhaps best-known in recent years for his work in the popular TV series “Laverne & Shirley.” He played Fran DeFazio, Laverne’s father and the owner of a pizza parlor and bowling alley.

As a young man, Foster worked in the Catskills as a social director and comic, studied serious acting for a time and first worked in nightclubs just before World War II. He frequently appeared in Las Vegas in the post-war years.

Foster remained an active performer in clubs nationally up until his death, family members said.