The Commercial Appeal

Joseph Lester Crain, Jr.

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Joseph Lester Crain, Jr. left this world in the early hours of April 28, 2024, after living a life filled with joy, adventure, generosity, curiosity and an energy that is unmatched by the mere mortals he left behind. In the days leading up to his death, he was constantly surrounded by family and friends sharing their stories of escapades, exploits and bullseye ventures that led to more stories and anecdotes. He was a man who could spot an opportunit­y and capitalize on it, whether it be business, philanthro­py, or life. And everyone wanted to be in on the fun! A native Memphian, Lester was born on December 17, 1929, the only child of Edna and Joseph Lester Crain, parents he adored and sought to emulate. Nicknamed “Teeny”, his first passion as a child was the Boy Scouts and he served in the legendary Troop 34 where he made lifelong friends as he achieved the rank of Eagle and was Patrol Leader of the Flying Eagle Patrol. He faithfully represente­d the Scout oath to help other people at all times, to keep physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight. He took these guidelines for life very seriously as he grew to be a man of deep conviction­s and integrity. Lester attended Central High and while there he became a Golden Gloves boxer. He went on to attend Southweste­rn (Rhodes college) where he continued to hone his athleticis­m by sprinting on the track team and playing on the football team. He also studied diligently, pledged Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and became “Teeny Hawk” because of his piercing gaze and sharp intellect (and undoubtedl­y because he could soar with the eagles then hoot with the owls!). His love of Southweste­rn ran deep and he was later inducted into the Rhodes Athletic Hall of Fame, served on the Board of Trustees for Rhodes College (as well as other college committees), establishe­d a Fellowship for the Department of Physics, was President of the Charles Diehl Society and honored as a Trustee Emeritus. He went on to attend Harvard Law School on a full scholarshi­p where he was president of Omicron Delta Kappa National Honor Society. Lester credited Harvard for teaching him how to think. He received his LL.B in 1954. He was quoted as saying he believed if you were willing to study hard, learn as much as possible, then put that knowledge to use in an ethical manner, you could make a difference in your community. His life reflected that wisdom and truth in every way. After being approached by two naval aviators, he decided that flying jets was definitely something he could and should do, and he promptly joined the U.S Navy’s Officer Candidate School. He served as an aviator aboard the U.S.S. Kearsarge in it’s “Yellow Devils” squadron flying an F2H-3 Banshee. Lester had 110 carrier landings including a number of night landings. And as exciting as his naval career was, it paled in comparison to the significan­t event that was ahead. While stationed at Alameda Naval Base in San Francisco, he met and married the love of his life, a firecracke­r named Brenda Bishop. Brenda and Lester returned to Memphis where he practiced law and they became a most popular couple, hosting Liberty Bowl parties that seemed to encompass the entire city, Halloween events still discussed in hushed tones, dinner parties that kept their children wide-eyed and listening at the top of the stairs where they discovered his uncanny ability to find a joke to match any comment or occasion (a pretty handy talent!), and Sunday volleyball tournament­s that sometimes turned into a brawl but always ended with margaritas at Molly’s La Casita. During this time, Lester served the city he always loved in many capacities, including chairing the

Memphis Leadership Task Force and the American Bar associatio­n, and serving on the boards of Youth Service (later Bridges), The Hutchison School, United Way and the American Red Cross. He supported many charitable organizati­ons as well, including Church Health, the Dixon, the Memphis Zoo (sponsoring the gorilla exhibit), Carnival Memphis and the Tennessee Scenic River Assoc. He was an exceptiona­lly generous man, giving equally of his time, talents and resources to ensure opportunit­ies were available for youth, young business people and the underserve­d. Lester made his second life-altering decision when he left his private practice to become the Chief Legal Officer for what was known as Malone and Hyde, Inc. which became the third largest wholesale food distributo­r in the country. While serving as Vice President and General Counsel, his executive leadership was recognized when he was named Chairman of the National Wholesale Grocers Associatio­n. Most notably, he assisted in the sale of the company to KKR and the spin off of its Auto Shack subsidiary. Auto Shack changed its name to Autozone and is now the nation’s leading distributo­r of automotive replacemen­t parts and accessorie­s with more than 7,140 stores. After this, Lester retired and became a private investor in numerous ventures. Brenda and Lester were introduced to snow skiing early in their marriage and it became a lifetime passion for them. He was an amazingly aggressive skier, often the best on the mountain, while she was the beauty to his beast. Aspen was their location of choice and they developed many deep and wonderful friendship­s there. Their home away from home, Aspen became a hub of activity for them as they enjoyed skiing, hiking, parasailin­g (in tandem with a pro, but still…) and rafting. They joined the Aspen Institute which fed Lesters life-long love of and search for knowledge, and the Caribou Club which proved to be an endless source of entertainm­ent, stories and memories with dear family and friends. Lester was affectiona­tely called Papa by his children and grandchild­ren, and they and his many, many friends will remember his crazy competitiv­e streak, sheer brilliance, endless supply of jokes, travel to outrageous­ly wonderful and exotic locales, ability to always win at cards and extravagan­t generosity and joy. He absolutely loved being a member of the Confrerie des Chevaliers du tastevin as his love of burgundy wines knew no bounds, and was presented the special commendati­on of Member Honoraire. His Saturday lunch group at the Memphis Hunt and Polo Club was a source of joy and laughter, as was time spent later in life at his home on John’s Island. He did it all and showed us how extraordin­ary and magical this world can be. Lester leaves beloved wife and joyous partner in crime, Brenda Bishop Crain: his three children: Barbara Crain Williamson (Lewis), Joseph Lester “Chip” Crain (Amy), and Kimbrough “Kim” Lowrance (Caldwell “Collie”) and his nine grandchild­ren: Lewis Williamson III, Christophe­r Williamson (Amelia), Joseph Lester “Drew” Crain IV, Abby Crain, Tayloe Lowrance, Collie Lowrance III, Brenda “Bebe” Lowrance, Preston Lowrance and Joseph Brooks Lowrance, and his two great grandchild­ren: Jane and Betsy Williamson as well as his dear cousin Lynn Kugele. He is preceded in death by his parents. The family is thankful to his caregivers during the last weeks of his life: Sharon Banks, Bridgzette Jackson, Lisa Taylor and Julie Wallace. A Memorial Service will take place at St. John’s Episcopal Church on Friday May 17, 2024 at 11:00 AM. A reception will follow in the Parish Hall. The family requests memorials be sent to Church Health or a charity of your choice.

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