WILLIAM W. LESTER

LESTER, William W. "Bill," 78, recently of Richmond, Va., and longtime resident of Dublin, Va., died on July 3, 2013. A gathering to celebrate his life will be held at Harvest House at 300 Pumpkin Place in the Harvest Glen Community on Saturday, July 13, at 2 p.m. Bill was born in Riner, Va. on January 12, 1935 and graduated from Auburn High School. He then served two years with the military police, 18 months of which was spent in Europe. He joined the Virginia State Police in 1957 and served as a state trooper for 30 years out of the Buchanan and Pulaski County stations. Bill enjoyed crossword puzzles, "Foyle's War," roaming the roads of Montgomery and Floyd Counties and drinking coffee while sitting on his back porch at Roseberry Street in Dublin, Va. He always enjoyed gardening, and later in life became a Master Gardener. He was also actively involved in volunteering at Daily Bread in Pulaski, Va. and the Juvenile Home in Christiansburg, Va. Bill was married to Betty Compton Lester of Grundy, Va., on February 9, 1958. He is survived by his wife, Betty; and their four children, Liz Lilly (Wallace) of Franklin, Tenn., Craig Lester (Debbie) of Kingsport, Tenn., and Bruce Lester (Kari) and Lynn Gray (Don) of Richmond, Va.; and his five grandchildren, Kilah Lester, Stephen Lester, Josh Lester, Liza Gray and Erin Gray. He is also survived by his sisters, Irene Arthur of Florida, formerly of Christiansburg, and Maxine Keister of Richmond; and his brother, Fred Lester of North Carolina. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be given to Bill's favorite charity, Pulaski Daily Bread, c/o First Presbyterian Church, 408 Jefferson Ave. North, Pulaski, Va. 24301-4616.

This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.