Michael Lee Kester

Obituary
Michael Kester

Michael Kester Our beloved son, husband, father, grand- father and friend, Mike Kester, age 59, passed away on October 13, 2005, at home, with his wife, daughter and two grandchildren by his side. Minutes later many other family members were surrounding him as he found his way to our Lord. Mike fought a courageous battle against brain cancer for several months.

Mike was born to Kermit "Lee" Kester and Gertrude Liston Kester on September 24, 1946 in Terre Haute, Indiana. When he was about 10, he moved to California with his father and lived in Chino. Later he lived in Upland in San Antonio Heights and graduated from Upland High School in 1964. In 1966, he joined the U.S. Army serving as a personnel specialist in Japan. He has been employed many years in the garden supply business, once managing a Builder's Emporium and since 1980 he was employed with Ezell Nursery Supply, now known as Excel Garden Products. He was dedicated to his employer and had that "soft-sell" approach to selling products, winning many awards as top salesperson. Mike did not like to procrastinate and always said "just do it and then it will be done".




			1964



		Mary & Mike Kester 40th Reunion Oct. 2004

Mike met his wife when both of them were in the same tour group vacationing in Ouray, Colorado in 1988. They continued to enjoy traveling, particularly visiting scenic areas, such as Niagara Falls, Yosemite, the Black Hills of South Dakota, Crater Lake, Lake Tahoe, Sequoia National Forest, Yellowstone a nd many others. Mike and Mary became devoted to each other for 17 years and married April 9, 2005 after Mike said "we've waited long enough".

Mike was known to all of us as gentle, kind, loving and supportive. His family counted on him for many things and he always met our needs. Mike was adored and will be missed by all of us. He is survived by his wife, Mary Kester of Fontana; father and step-mother, Lee and Grace Kester of Mission Viejo; mother-in-law, Alice Molles of Artesia; daughter and son-in-law, Mary and Ray Walker and their two children, Lauryn and Cameron of Riverside; daughter, Michelle Heffernan and her two children, Allyson and David of Fontana; step-daughter and step son-in-law, Sarah and Jimmy Wilson of Rancho Cucamonga and his unborn granddaughter, due in February; brother and sister-in-law, Jim and Wendy Kester of Tennessee; brother Byron Kester of Riverside; sister and brother-in-law, Cheryl and Mark Tarbell of Riverside; step-sister and brother-in-law, Joyce and David Eisenbrey of Missio n Viejo; sister-in-law, Lorri Wild of Upland; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Yvonne and Kevin Kaler of Rancho Cucamonga; and brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Stan and Helen Molles of Seal Beach; and aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews, living all over the world.

Services will be held at Stone Funeral Home, 355 East 9th Street in Upland at 10:30am on Tuesday, October 18, 2005, (909) 982-1369. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to VNA Hospice of Southern California, 150 W. 1st Street, Claremont, CA 91711, (888) 357-3574. We all thank VNA Hospice for their compassionate care.

Published in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin on 10/16/2005.