Dr. Jess C. Lester

Dr. Jess C. Lester passed away on Monday the 11th of May 2015 from complications following lung surgery. He was born in Springfield, Illinois on September 12, 1931 and grew up outside of St. Louis, in Granite City, IL. He graduated from the University Of Illinois College Of Medicine in 1957, and his internship and residency brought him to Atlanta where he began a career that spanned more than fifty years. He was a member of the American Board of Ophthalmology, the American Board of Eye Surgery and many other societies. For many years he practiced on Peachtree Street in Atlanta, later moving Lester Eye Centre to Northside Hospital. He served as a clinical volunteer associate professor at Emory University School of Medicine, teaching residents and staff members intraocular surgery and was considered a pioneer in modern cataract surgery. Dr. Jess performed the first intraocular lens implantation in the state of Georgia and went on to develop many ophthalmic instruments and intraocular lenses. His awards and achievements were many. One of his most cherished honors was received in 1996 when he was selected by his fellow doctors as the doctor they would pick when they needed a physician, as published in Atlanta Magazine. He had the honor of operating on many physicians and their families. He retired from practicing Ophthalmology in 2006 and continued to teach for several more years.

Jess was a member of First Baptist Church Woodstock. He was a devout Christian and his deep faith was evident in all he did, both for his community and in caring for his patients.

An avid outdoorsman, Jess enjoyed hunting, fishing, riding his Harley, flying helicopters and snowmobiling in Montana. He was also extremely knowledgeable on a vast array of subjects. Jess studied every day, immersing himself in the daily quest to learn something new, and never failing to end each day in prayer. He was born with the heart of a servant and passionately pursued the gift he believed he had been given, which was to serve others; including his church, his practice of medicine and his marriage to Debra. While he enjoyed each of these pursuits, the focus of his life and the greatest joy was the time spent with his beloved grandchildren.

He is survived by his wife, Debra, his daughter, Debbie and Dan Lafferty and her mother Mrs. Mary Jim Luce, son and daughter- in-law,Jason and Kacie Easterling; 7 grandchildren; 3 great grandchildren; brother and sister-in-law, Dr. Carl Lester and Catharine Lester; sister and brother-in-law, Linda McIlvoy and Col. Michael McIlvoy. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Diane Bender Sletten.

Services for Dr. Jess C. Lester will be held in the chapel of the First Baptist Church of Woodstock Saturday, May 16th at 11:30 in the morning. Visitation will be Thursday from 6-8pm at H.M. Patterson & Son Arlington Chapel 173 Allen Road, Sandy Springs. There will also be visitation at the church Saturday morning from 10:30 to 11:15. Entombment will follow at Arlington Memorial Park, 201 Mt. Vernon Highway, NW, Sandy Springs, GA 30328 at 2:30.

The family requests that no flowers be sent but rather a donation be made in his memory and to the glory of God. Donations may be made to Eagle Ranch in Chestnut Mountain, Georgia, Hopequest Ministries in Woodstock, Georgia or to Word of Life Panama at https://give.wol.org/location/panama.

Isaiah 40:31 "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they will run and not grow weary..."