Lester E. Smith, Jr.

Lester E. Smith, Jr., died February 19, 2019. He was born October 5, 1928 in Atlanta, Georgia to Lester E. Smith, Sr. and Leone Moon Smith. He graduated from Boys High School in Atlanta. He received his undergraduate degree from Mercer University in Macon, Georgia and obtained a law degree from SMU. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1951. While stationed at Goodfellow AFB in San Angelo, Texas, he met Nancy Lewis. They decided to marry on their first date. They married June 13, 1953. They were the parents of two daughters. After graduating from law school, Lester worked for Mercantile National Bank in Dallas. He joined Central National Bank in San Angelo, as Vice President and Trust Officer in 1958. While at CNB, he served as head of the Trust Department and Vice Chairman of the Board. Lester was named a trustee of the Shannon Estate in 1964. I-le left CNB in 1980 to become Managing Trustee of the Shannon Estate. While in that position, he served as Chairman of the Shannon Medical Center Board of Directors and the Shannon Health System Board of Directors. He held the position of Chairman until his retirement in 2003. Lester was active in healthcare, not only locally, but also statewide, and nationally. He served as Chairman of the Governance Committee and Congress of Hospital Trustees for the American Hospital Association. He was Chairman of the Texas Hospital Association. He was an active member of First Presbyterian Church, serving as Trustee and Elder. He also sang in the choir for several years and was a member of the FPC Daily Bread Soup Kitchen team. Lester also served as a member of the Boards of Directors of the San Angelo YMCA, San Angelo Chamber of Commerce, and United Way of Tom Green County. He also served as a member and Treasurer of the Board of Directors of Fort Concho National Historic Landmark. Lester began a love of traveling as a young man, when he sailed on the Queen Mary to Sweden to attend the Baptist World Youth Congress in 1949. He sailed the Tasman Sea between New Zealand and Australia on the Queen of Sheba, an 87-foot sailboat, during a typhoon. Lester and Nancy developed a passion for cruise ships with their first cruise to Alaska. They went on to cruise the Baltic, Mediterranean, Panama Canal and to Hawaii. They even took a paddle boat cruise down the Mississippi. Lester was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Renva, his wife Nancy, his younger daughter Leslie, and his nephew Russell. He is survived by his elder daughter and several nieces, nephews, and cousins. Special thanks to Hospice of San Angelo, Visiting Angels, Malinda Gonzales and the amazing members of First Presbyterian Church. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to First Presbyterian Church, Meals for the Elderly, Hospice of San Angelo, or Project Dignidad. A memorial service will take place at 2:00pm on February 23, 2019, at First Presbyterian Church in San Angelo.