Earl laurEncE lEstEr, Jr.
1914-2015
Houston has lost a gentleman - loving, honorable and gracious to all.
Earl Laurence Lester, Jr., a third generation Houstonian, was born on the 8th of July 1914, and died peacefully on Saturday, the 7th of November 2015, the anniversary of the birth of his son Mark. He was 101 years old and the only child of Earl Laurence Lester, Sr. and Ruth Howard Lester.
Earl was predeceased by his parents; Mary Gray Lester, his beloved wife of almost seventy two years; and by two beloved sons, Earl Laurence Lester III and Mark Howard Lester. He is survived by his favorite daughter, Linda Lester Griffin, his favorite son in law, John Irving Griffin; granddaughters, Laura Griffin Schuhmacher and her husband, John William Schuhmacher III, Allison Griffin Lorenzo and her husband, Philip Andrew Lorenzo; and greatgranddaughters, Sarah Gray Schuhmacher, Hilary Helms Schuhmacher and Melissa Brydia Lorenzo. He is also survived by three lovely goddaughters, Olive Allen Hughes, Julie Hull Johnson and Barbara Moore. Earl is also survived by many close friends and business associates. However, he did not have an enemy in the world, having outlived them all.
The family would like to express its sincere appreciation to Angelica Castillo for her faithful support, a loving friend and companion to the Lester family for 30 years, and to Latarsha Hunter. Also, the family is very grateful to Houston Hospice, especially Svanhaniel Crim and Dora Narvaez for their exceptional care and attention.
Earl attended Montrose Elementary School, Sidney Lanier Junior High and San Jacinto Senior High, class of 1933. He also attended Rice Institute for two years, class of 1937. In 1936, he started his business career with a division of Brown & Root, Inc. and remained with that fine company until volunteering for the Army Air Corps in 1943. He served as an aerial navigator and radar bombardier. When the war ended in mid-August 1945, Earl was on shipping orders to the 20th Air Force, a B-29 group based on Tinian Island in the South Pacific which was home base of “Enola Gay,” the B -29 which dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima and ended World War II.
In January, 1948, with the encouragement and support of Howard Tellepsen and Harry K. Smith, two vital friends and mentors, Earl founded the E.L. Lester & Company in Houston. It distributed heavy construction equipment which operated successfully in Texas and Louisiana for more than 50 years. E. L. Lester & Company shared in many opportunities presented by the unprecedented growth of Houston and the entire Gulf Coast economy. As one of Houston’s leading citizens said “Houston made a lot of us country boys look smart.”
Earl had the privilege of serving on the board of directors of Stewart & Stevenson Services, a Fortune 500 Company, St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, Enterprise Bank, Interfaith Care Partners and San Jacinto Alumni Association. Earl and Mary Gray were long members of the Houston Country Club, Texas Corinthian Yacht Club and the Colonneh Club.
Earl and Mary Gray were active members of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church from 1957 until their deaths. Earl served on the vestry of St. Martin’s and as senior warden with the Reverend Tom Bagby, the founding rector of St. Martin’s. Earl was honored to be awarded the St. Martin’s Star in 1998. His family is so appreciative of the clergy at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church.
In his later years, Earl enjoyed the warm friendship and support of a number of younger friends who kept him active and in touch with the real world and Earl and his family would like to express their thanks and deep appreciation to Oscar Hahn, John Hovas, Christopher Criner, Tom Tellepsen, Judge Lynn Hughes and Dr. Arlys Bing for their friendship and warm support.
Earl always felt most fortunate to have been born in and live most of his life in the twentieth century, the century in which the United States of America came of age and became the world leader and industrial giant that it is today. It was a century of many challenges but also of great opportunities. Earl always felt that our greatest privilege is to have lived our lives in the United States of America…God bless you all.
Friends are cordially invited to gather with the family and share remembrances of Earl during a reception to be held from five o’clock in the afternoon until seven o’clock in the evening on Wednesday, the 18th of November, in the grand foyer of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.
A memorial service celebrating his life will be held at two o’clock in the afternoon on Thursday, the 19th of November, at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, 717 Sage Road in Houston, where the Rev. Dr. Russell J. Levenson, Jr., Rector, is to officiate. Kindly note that valet parking will be provided by the church for the service.
Serving as honorary pallbearers are Dr. Arlys Bing, Christopher Criner, Sanford Criner, Jr., Fred Griffin, Oscar Hahn, John Hovas, Judge Lynn Hughes, Howard Tellepsen, Jr. and Tom Tellepsen II.
Immediately following, all are invited to greet the family during a reception in the adjacent Bagby Parish Hall.
At a later date the family is to gather for a private interment.
In lieu of customary remembrances, memorial contributions may be directed to St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, 717 Sage Road, Houston TX, 77056; or to the Rice University Colonneh Club Scholarship, PO Box 1892, Houston, TX, 77252; or to the charity of one’s choice.
“A father’s legacy is not riches, possessions or worldly goods of any kind; it is the way he lived, the lives he touched, the promises he kept. It is the kind of man he was.” - Author Unknown