Oviedo Marketplace restaurateur found dead in home

OVIEDO - Oviedo lost one of its own early Monday morning when a local restaurant owner and staple in the community passed away.

William "Bill" Foulkes, owner of Bill's Elbow South, a popular restaurant and gathering spot at the Oviedo Marketplace, was found dead at his home. He was 51.

Foulkes, a restaurateur, a boss, a parent and a friend, will be sorely missed, community leaders said.

"How could you not say anything nice about Bill?" said Seminole County Commissioner Bob Dallari, who said he often dines at Bill's restaurant for both business and pleasure.

"He was always there for the public and the community as a whole," Dallari said. "Anytime you needed something to be done - a sponsor for an event, you could count on Bill."

Oviedo Mayor Tom Walters said that Foulkes is known for doing good things behind the scenes for others and he never told a soul of his good deeds.

"I know he was active in the community and that he had a kind heart," Walters said.

Former Councilman Todd Russell was also saddened by the news of Foulkes' passing.

"Bill has done so much for community," Russell said. "He was the heart of the community and that showed in everything he did."

Foulkes' passion was cooking and most of the recipes at the restaurant he created himself, Russell said.

Funeral arrangements for Foulkes, who attended St. Luke's Lutheran Church, have not been announced.

The restaurant remains open for business, an employee who answered the phone Wednesday morning said.

The unidentified employee would not discuss his former boss's death, saying only, "Bill would have wanted us to keep working and that's what I'm going to do. We're all very sad."

The cause of Foulkes' death is not known but because he died alone, an investigation is ongoing. Police would not comment on the cause of death and said they await autopsy results. Autopsy results can take a month or more. Foul play is not suspected.

"We always do an investigation when someone dies and nobody is with them," said Commander Marc Beaulieu of the Oviedo Police Department. "There is no obvious cause of death. It is an open and active investigation. We're looking into all aspects of it and we'll see what the Medical Examiner's office tells us."