A basic engineering major at Princeton, he joined Quad Club and was a member of the Orange Key Society. He spent two years in the Navy and then attended the University of Virginia Law School, where he earned a law degree and was business manager of the Virginia Law Review.
He joined the Birmingham law firm of Martin, Vogtle, Balch & Bingham and practiced in the fields of wills, trusts, estates, and tax-exempt bonds for more than 40 years.
A deeply faithful man, Key was a lifelong member of St. Mary’s on the Highlands Episcopal Church. He served several terms on its vestry, was both a senior and junior warden, taught an adult Bible class, and was chalice bearer, lay reader, and acolyte instructor.
A devoted family man, he spent many weekends at the Redstone Camp on Logan Martin Lake, where he would pull his kids behind the ski boat, take his family sailing, and play tennis, pingpong, and pool with family members for hours on end.
He is survived by his wife, Jean Lyles Foster; son Arthur Key Foster III; daughter Brooke Foster Scott; and four grandchildren, Arthur Key Foster IV, Thomas Coker Foster, Alice Woods Scott, and Katherine Parker Scott.