Earnest Keith Lester

Borne to parents Howard and Lila Lester, West Virginia was more than his birthplace, it was home. The place where he would return after joining the US Army at 17, coming back to start a family, having two children he adored, and where he would later meet his wife Carol deep in the coal mines. Years later he went on to become a Fayette County Deputy Sheriff, spending 20 years working to uphold the law with the honor, dedication, and faith he put into everything he did. Over the years he owned many small businesses and was truly a jack-of-all-trades.

Unlike the saying, Keith did have something he completely mastered—being a family man. He loved his wife, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren; he spent every moment he could with his family. He involved them in his hobbies whether that was his love of classic cars, motorcycles, and heavy equipment or attending church with them at the Carlisle First Church of God. In his free time, he enjoyed his hobbies to the fullest, fishing at the coast, traveling, and especially motorcycles, joining the Iron Pigs as a beloved member and friend to many.

Those preceding him in death are his parents Howard and Lila Lester; brothers Kenneth Lester and Allen Lester; and his stepdaughter Dawn “Renee” Farley.

Those left to cherish his memory are his beloved wife Carol Lester; daughter Donna Lester; son Lee Lester (Angie); siblings Carolyn Osborne, Marlene Duncan, Mary Lester, Brenda Vass (Fred), and Linda Markland (Ed); son-in-law Doug Farley; grandchildren Adam Lindsay (Veronica), Ryan Delgman (Michelle), Brent Lester (Misty), Eric Lester (Andrea), Rusty Brown, Heather Vargas (Brandon), and Kristin Lester; 11 cherished great-grandchildren; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and friends.

Funeral services will be held at Blue Ridge Funeral Home of Beckley, WV on Wednesday June 17th, 2026, at 1pm. Friends are invited to gather with the family for an hour prior to the services to offer their condolences, share memories, and pay their respects. After the services he will receive full military honors by the Wyoming County Honor Guard before being laid to rest in the Christus Garden at Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens near his stepdaughter Renee.

In lieu of flowers the family has requested donations to the Bowers Hospice House which gave him and his family so much care and comfort in his final days.

Members of the Iron Pigs and Fayette County Sheriff’s Department will be accepting the honor of being his pallbearers.