Henry Lester Foley Jr.

DURHAM: Henry Lester Foley Jr., 73, passed away on Sunday, December 31, 2023 at the Durham VA Hospital. Henry, fondly known as Lester, was born in Durham, the son of the late Henry Lester Foley Sr. and Bertie Era Sparrow Foley.
Lester graduated from Chapel Hill High School in 1969. He was a U.S. veteran of the Marine Corp, where he proudly served between the years 1969 and 1975. Lester then began his professional career working for Winn Dixie Supermarket, where he worked his way from bagger to produce buyer for the Raleigh warehouse. In 1984 he left Winn Dixie to start the family owned and operated Regency Cleaners and Laundromats, which grew to eight locations by 2001. He retired in 2003.
Those who knew Lester well will remember his admiration for hard work and integrity. Lester always reminded us to "plan our work and work our plan." Lester was a devoted Christian and admired his family more than anything else. His favorite times were spent with his children and grandchildren teaching them and watching them grow. Lester never met a stranger and was happy to call so many people his friend. Lester is survived by his former wife, Rita Patton Foley; daughter, Sarah Foley (Corey LeMoine) and their son Everett; son, Mark Foley (Victoria); his former wife, Sally Hackney Pike; son, Michael Foley (Charlene) and their children Jacob and Ryan; sisters, Dorothy Rogers (Ted), Sandra Woody (Ronnie), and Karen Patterson; many nieces and nephews; and dedicated caregivers Edith, Elizabeth, and Belomy, amongst others who held a special place in his heart.
A funeral service will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, January 13th at Mt Carmel Baptist Church with pastor Barrett Freeman officiating. The family will receive visitors prior to service from 10:00 am to 11:00 am at the church.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Mt Carmel Baptist Church, 2016 Mt Carmel Church Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27517. Donations can also be made to The National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Website: https://www.nationalmssociety.org/Donate
The family is being assisted by Clements Funeral & Cremation Services, Inc. in Durham. Online condolences may be sent to www.clementsfuneralservice.com.