Thomas Lester

Thomas Arthur Lester 1927 - 2012 Former resident of Grove, OK; Pittsburg, KS; Atchison, KS; Caldwell, KS; and Drumright, OK. Thomas Lester, 85, of Grove OK, passed away Sunday, September 2, 2012, in the comfort of family and friends in Overland Park, KS. He suffered a stroke at his home on June 29, had been hospitalized in Grove and Overland Park, and was working hard to recover at a rehabilitation facility in Overland Park. Tom was born in Drumright, OK., to Lillian Mae Armbruster and Arthur Blaine Lester on January 23, 1927. He attended public schools and excelled at sports, becoming an all-state football and basketball player in high school. After graduating High School he served with the U.S. Army in Japan at the end of WWII. He attended Kansas State College of Pittsburg on a basketball scholarship, but was sidelined with a knee injury. He turned to a football career, culminating in All-American honors and received an invitation to try out with the New York Football Giants. Tom declined the opportunity and pursued a life of teaching and coaching. Tom started his coaching career at Caldwell USD 360, where he met a home economics teacher named Margaret Melka Doughty, whom he married on June 6, 1952. His next career move took him to Atchison where he coached at the high school. After several successful seasons in Atchison, he was invited to be an assistant coach under Carnie Smith in 1961 at Kansas State College (now Pitt State). In 1967 he was promoted to the head coach at Pitt State which he performed until 1975. He continued his education with a sabbatical at Indiana University, taking courses in Parks and Recreation. Tom taught at Pitt State until he retired to Grand Lake of the Cherokees in 1989. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Grove, Thomas Sunday School Class, Wesley Small Group, a long time member of the Grove Rotary Club and provided youth mentoring with the Office of Juvenile Affairs in Jay OK. He was inducted into the Pitt State Hall of Fame in 1988 and was also chosen to be a member of the 100th Anniversary PSU Football Team. He and Margaret traveled to most of the states in the US and also to Egypt, London, Ireland, and cruised to Alaska and the Caribbean. He loved the outdoors, fishing Honey Creek, and being the "boatman" for his family. His home grown tomatoes were abundant as well as his determination at keeping the armadillos out of his yard. Telling stories was one of his joys and he kept people laughing with his sense of humor. His strong and big hands offered a firm handshake to everyone he met. He is proceeded in death by his parents, two brothers and two sisters and Margaret, his wife of 57 years. Tom is survived by two sons Randall Lester, of Big Springs, KS, and Russell Lester of Kansas City, MO; daughter Sydney Mosburg, and son-in-law Russell Mosburg, of Overland Park, KS; and grandchildren, Emily Mosburg, Chicago, Il; and Weston Mosburg, Greeley, CO; one niece, Kathy Gaetz of Salem, MA; and brother-in-law, Don Melka, and his wife, Marilyn, of Enid, OK. The service celebrating Tom's life will be held at 11 am, Friday Sept. 14, at the First United Methodist Church of Grove, OK. Rev. Randy Hamill will officiate. Worley-Luginbuel Funeral Home of Grove is in charge of arrangements. Cremation. The family requests that in lieu of flowers memorials be sent to the Worley-Luginbuel Funeral Home, 711 South Main St., Grove, OK 74334. Requested memorials are: The Grove Rotary Club, and Pittsburg State University where an annual football scholarship will be established in Tom's name.

Service Details

Friday, September 14th, 2012 11:00am, First United Methodist Church - Grove

Interment Details

Cremation