Lester, 75, died February 11,1990, of a heart attack while on vacation in Anaheim, California. He was born November 5,1914, in Needy, Oregon. Lester lived most of his life in this area working as a farmer and farm equipment contractor. He was operating the Filbertreats Candy Store in Canby, Oregon, at the time of his death.

Lester jumped all three seasons of the CPS-103 smokejumper program and was based in McCall, Idaho. He had three fire jumps in both the 1943 and'44 seasons and four fire jumps in the 1945 season. Lester was buried in the Zion Mennonite Cemetery in Hubbard.