South Carolina H 4190: Kenneth Lester Sr. sympathy

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 4190 Text of Previous Version (Mar. 25, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 4190

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A house RESOLUTION

TO EXPRESS THE 
PROFOUND SORROW OF THE MEMBERS OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
UPON THE PASSING OF KENNETH HARRISON "KEN" LESTER SR. OF RICHLAND COUNTY AND TO 
EXTEND THEIR DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO HIS LARGE AND LOVING FAMILY AND HIS MANY 
FRIENDS.

Whereas, the members of 
the South Carolina House of Representatives were saddened to learn of the death 
of Kenneth Harrison Lester Sr. at the age of eighty-three on Monday, March 10, 
2025; and

Whereas, born in Wilson, 
North Carolina, on April 4, 1941, he was the oldest son of the late Lonnie H. 
Lester and Polly Woodall Lester and was reared in a loving home with siblings Dicke 
Lester of Myrtle Beach, Lon Lester of Cherry Grove, Flo Lester Vinson of Florence, 
and the late John Robert Lester; and

Whereas, he graduated 
from McClenaghan High School in Florence, where he was an All-American football 
player, and was a member of the baseball and basketball teams as well. He went 
on to earn a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University 
of South Carolina (USC), where he played football for four years and baseball 
for two years, being named an Academic All-ACC football player in 1962; and

Whereas, after earning 
a juris doctorate from USC's School of Law, Mr. Lester practiced family law in 
Columbia, the founding partner of Lester and Hendrix Law Firm. He was a Diplomat 
in the American College of Family Trial Lawyers, limited to the top 100 family 
court trial lawyers in the nation. He was a Fellow and past president of the 
American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers consisting of 1,700 of the top 
matrimonial attorneys in the United States and Canada. For over twenty-four 
years, he served on the faculty of the Houston Family Law Institute, now the 
National Family Law Trial Institute, which is held nine days each year at South 
Texas College; and

Whereas, Mr. Lester was 
a longtime member of a close-knit group of national family court attorneys who 
called themselves "The Family." He was the honored recipient of the 2017 
Platinum Compleat Lawyer Award from the South Carolina School of Law for his outstanding 
legal career; and

Whereas, a lifelong 
avid Gamecock fan, Mr. Lester was a member of the Letterman's Association and 
the Gamecock Club, serving as president of the latter in 1981. He was a member 
of "The Rambling Roosters," a group of former teammates who annually attended a 
pro football game coached by their former USC quarterback, Dan Reeves. After 
graduating from USC, he could be seen at almost every home football, baseball, 
and basketball game. Early in his legal career, he was a nationally ranked 
handball player and the owner of a sports complex in Columbia called The 
Courthouse. When his clients called his law office, his assistant could 
truthfully tell them that he was at The Courthouse; and

Whereas, a renowned 
storyteller, Mr. Lester liked serving others, loved people, and never met a 
stranger. Making friends and telling a familiar or a new story gave him great 
joy; and

Whereas, together with 
his beloved wife of sixty years, the former Rose Nell Bruorton of Hemingway, he 
reared three amazing children: Kristine Lester Long of Chapin, Kenneth Harrison 
Lester Jr. of Irmo, and Kelli Lester Lash of Charlotte, North Carolina. They 
built many wonderful family memories at their vacation home on Fripp Island. His 
children blessed him with the love of six adoring grandchildren who knew him 
affectionately as PopPop: Peter, David, Ginny, and John Lash, all four of 
Charlotte; and Kyle and Katelyn Long, both of Chapin; and

Whereas, the members of 
the South Carolina House of Representatives are grateful for the legacy of Ken 
Lester, whose life, both professional and personal, embodied the ideals of 
service, and for the example of excellence and joy he set for all who knew him. 
Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House 
of Representatives:

That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, express 
their profound sorrow upon the passing of Kenneth Harrison "Ken" Lester Sr. of Richland 
County and extend their deepest sympathy to his large and loving family and his 
many friends.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this 
resolution be presented to the family of Kenneth Harrison "Ken" Lester Sr.

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