Richard William Lester, Jr., 70, of Jacksonville passed away in his sleep in his home Wednesday night, April 20. Richard was an active and long-time parishioner of St. Paul’s Catholic Church—Riverside, a Notre Dame fan, and received local and national recognition for his poem dedicated to the memory of 9/11. He is predeceased by his sister, Catherine and his nephew, Steven. He is survived by his sister, Teresa, his nieces, Donna and Bonnie, and his nephews, Richard and Jason, as well as his St. Paul’s family. A rosary followed by a funeral mass will be held Tuesday, May 3 at 10:30 AM at St. Paul’s Catholic Church-Riverside, 2609 Park St, Jacksonville, FL 32204. There will not be a graveside service following the mass.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be sent to the Jacksonville Humane Society.
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I’ll always remember our monthly get-togethers, Uncle Rick. For 27 years, I came by one Friday each month, whether we went to the grocery store, the Catholic store, Stein Mart, or even back in the day–Football Fanatics (collecting every single NCAA license plate!) 🙂 . I’m glad to have been there for you. I will always cherish the stories you told me–about faith, about football, and about family. You were a natural storyteller and you never kept me bored. I loved your humor, and I loved your spirit. I won’t ever watch Friday Night Smackdown without thinking of you. You loved reminiscing about Dusty Rhodes, and we both loved watching The Rock. I know you’re up in Heaven smiling with the American Dream, Knute Rockne and all the other Notre Dame Fighting Irish that have gone before, and the Blessed Mother herself. Enjoy your rest–you earned it.
Rick was a great neighbor. A long time gardener we met after he saw me drowning my lawn and decided to give me some tips. My wife and I bonded with Rick strangely enough between our similarities of Buddhism and Catholicism and we always talked about needing more love in this world. He always cracked me up with his funny text messages and jokes. He was a smart one even when new technologies had him at his wits end he would still figure them out. He brought joy and faith to our block and while I will miss our conversations I know he is at peace.
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