1922 – 2014

NAPLES, Fla. — Lester Ralph Thurston Jr., 92, of Falmouth and Naples, Fla., passed away peacefully Thursday, Dec. 25, in Naples, with his wife of 67 years, Nancy, and his daughter, Leslie, at his side.

He was born on Feb. 5, 1922, in Harrisburg, Pa., the only child of the late Lester R. Thurston Sr., formerly of Andover, and Martha Mason Thurston, formerly of Kennett Square, Pa. His mother died in childbirth when he was 8 years old, and he was raised by his father’s second wife, the former Eva Claire Snell of Andover, a registered nurse, whom he considered to be his mother.

He was a graduate of Pennsylvania State University, Class of 1948, and was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity. He served in World War II as a pilot with the rank of captain in the 15th Army Air Force from 1943 to 1946, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. He married Nancy Wolfe on April 27, 1946, in Harrisburg, Pa.

He is survived by his wife; their three children, Thomas Thurston of Provincetown, Mass., Stephen Thurston of Ferrisburgh, Vt., and Leslie Thurston of Woodinville, Wash.; four grandchildren, Kevin Thurston and his wife, Brooke, of Boston, Mass., Barbara Spangle and her husband, Paul, of Minneapolis, Minn. (both grandchildren formerly of Paris), Eben Thurston and his wife, Jen, of Bronxville, N.Y., and Amelie Thurston of Winooski, Vt.; and three great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother, William Thurston and his wife, Patricia, of Andover, and their family.

Les entered the pasta industry in 1950 as a sales representative for Megs Macaroni Co. in Harrisburg, Pa. He rose to become president of Megs in 1964, during which time its Pennsylvania Dutch brand pasta products became a well-known name in the industry. Megs was acquired by Thomas J. Lipton in 1965. Les served in various senior management positions at Lipton until 1969, when he joined the C.F. Mueller Co., in Jersey City, N.J., where he became president in 1971, and retired in 1982.

During a lifetime of service, Les was president of the National Pasta Association, a director of First Jersey National Bank, a director of United Way of Hudson County, N.J., a member of the board of Rockaway River Country Club in Denville, N.J., a director of Penn State’s Alpha Upsilon Chapter of Beta Theta Pi, a director of the Penn State Alumni Association in Naples, Fla., and a director of the Forum Club of Southwest Florida.

Les’ winters since he retired were spent with his wife in Naples, Fla., where they have been members of the Naples United Church of Christ. He served on various church committees and sang in the choir for many years.

Fishing and golfing were his passions, and he was also a very involved resident of the Kingsport Club, where they lived, serving as a director from 1996 to 2005, and as president from 1998 to 2005.

Since 2009, Les and Nancy have summered at Ocean View in Falmouth to be closer to family members, and to the camp his grandfather built in 1926 on Roxbury Pond, near Andover. He was a longtime member of the First Congregational Church of Andover, where he also sang in the choir. At annual family camp gatherings, everyone from the oldest to the youngest learned to swim, fish, canoe, kayak, water ski and play Scrabble and Hearts. Les was always avidly interested in the lives of all his family members, in politics and in Penn State football.

He loved his life and family, and was loved in return for his warmth, sincere heart and for always being a gentleman. He will forever be remembered by all his family and never wanted to be separated from the love of his life, his wife, Nancy.