Lester S. Hanks

Lester Hanks was born on April 19, 1922 in Lawton, Oklahoma, and passed away on February 24, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. The Hanks family moved from Lawton to Sunnydale, a small community near Littlefield, Texas, in 1925. Living in a half-dugout during the Depression and the Dust Bowl, the family nevertheless felt blessed to have what they needed and to be a part of a small community of farming families who all banded together to make their lives better. Lester often spoke fondly of the people of Sunnydale and of the lessons he learned from them there. His childhood was spent working and helping the family, but it was also filled with many adventures that a boy would remember for a lifetime. He felt fortunate to be close to his grandparents and extended family. Family was very important to him then as well as later in life with his own family.

Lester graduated from Littlefield High School in 1939 and attended Cameron College in Lawton before his induction into the Army Air Corps in WWII. He served three years in the Air Corps becoming a 2nd Lt. with special training as a B-17 engineer, bombardier, and celestial navigator. He was a B29 gunnery instructor. He was discharged in October of 1945.

In the summer of 1941, he met the only girl he ever wanted to date and finally convinced her to marry him. He and Bessie Lee Jackson were married in Amarillo, Texas, on April 30, 1943, where he was stationed.

Their family was later made complete with the addition of four daughters, causing Lester to claim he was henpecked living with five females. The daughters and Bessie Lee remember it differently.

After his discharge from the Air Corps, he farmed in the communities of Littlefield and Denver City, Texas. He later worked for DuPont, in the Permasep Permeator Plant in Plains, Texas. His keen understanding of science and math was instrumental in his role as supervisor of its operation, as DuPont developed a system of reverse osmosis for desalinization at the plant in Plains which then served as a prototype for future use in semi-arid areas around the world.

He then became a heavy machinery operator running a backhoe in construction projects throughout Texas and Louisiana, primarily in the Fort Worth area where they lived in Hurst for 45 years. Following his retirement he and Bessie Lee enjoyed traveling in their RV, especially to Cloudcroft, NM, and Glen Rose, Texas.

Lester enjoyed many activities such as being with family and friends, going to family reunions, playing dominoes and checkers, tinkering with all sorts of things, doing woodworking projects, watching the Weather Channel, working puzzles of all kinds, and spoiling his only “son,” a small rescue dog named Gus. He and Gus were best of friends.

He loved learning and continued to actively pursue knowledge on all topics. He constantly read and remembered information that he could apply or pass along to others. He enjoyed teaching younger people how to do things. He called it ‘supervising’ as he shared instructions and encouraged them to learn to be self-sufficient.

Lester loved to meet people and make friends. He was definitely a people person.

Lester is survived by his wife of nearly 76 years, Bessie Lee; his sister, Mary Herring and husband Dean; his daughters Ann Franklin, Pat Bryant and husband Charlie, Sue Wilkinson and husband Terry, and Lisa Hanks. He was the proud grandfather to Curtis Franklin and wife Redina, Angela Franklin, Josh Bryant and wife Heather, Sean Wilkinson, and Cameron Wilkinson and wife Lizzie. He also leaves behind five great grandchildren: Hannah, Laura, and Cade Franklin and Brooklyn and Hudson Bryant. Very special to him were his numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Perry and Hazel Hanks; his siblings John Hanks, Robert Hanks, Anita Jordan, Kathryn Hornecker, and Bill Hanks; a son-in-law Harley Franklin; and a daughter Carolyn Ruth Hanks.

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Lester Hanks was born on April 19, 1922 in Lawton, Oklahoma, and passed away on February 24, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. The Hanks family moved from Lawton to Sunnydale, a small community near Littlefield, Texas, in 1925. Living in a half-dugout during the Depression and the Dust Bowl, the family nevertheless felt blessed to have what they needed and to be a part of a small community of farming families who all banded together to make their lives better. Lester often spoke fondly of the people of Sunnydale and of the lessons he learned from them there. His childhood was spent working and helping the family, but it was also filled with many adventures that a boy would remember for a lifetime. He felt fortunate to be close to his grandparents and extended family. Family was very important to him then as well as later in life with his own family.

Lester graduated from Littlefield High School in 1939 and attended Cameron College in Lawton before his induction into the Army Air Corps in WWII. He served three years in the Air Corps becoming a 2nd Lt. with special training as a B-17 engineer, bombardier, and celestial navigator. He was a B29 gunnery instructor. He was discharged in October of 1945.

In the summer of 1941, he met the only girl he ever wanted to date and finally convinced her to marry him. He and Bessie Lee Jackson were married in Amarillo, Texas, on April 30, 1943, where he was stationed.

Their family was later made complete with the addition of four daughters, causing Lester to claim he was henpecked living with five females. The daughters and Bessie Lee remember it differently.

After his discharge from the Air Corps, he farmed in the communities of Littlefield and Denver City, Texas. He later worked for DuPont, in the Permasep Permeator Plant in Plains, Texas. His keen understanding of science and math was instrumental in his role as supervisor of its operation, as DuPont developed a system of reverse osmosis for desalinization at the plant in Plains which then served as a prototype for future use in semi-arid areas around the world.

He then became a heavy machinery operator running a backhoe in construction projects throughout Texas and Louisiana, primarily in the Fort Worth area where they lived in Hurst for 45 years. Following his retirement he and Bessie Lee enjoyed traveling in their RV, especially to Cloudcroft, NM, and Glen Rose, Texas.

Lester enjoyed many activities such as being with family and friends, going to family reunions, playing dominoes and checkers, tinkering with all sorts of things, doing woodworking projects, watching the Weather Channel, working puzzles of all kinds, and spoiling his only “son,” a small rescue dog named Gus. He and Gus were best of friends.

He loved learning and continued to actively pursue knowledge on all topics. He constantly read and remembered information that he could apply or pass along to others. He enjoyed teaching younger people how to do things. He called it ‘supervising’ as he shared instructions and encouraged them to learn to be self-sufficient.

Lester loved to meet people and make friends. He was definitely a people person.

Lester is survived by his wife of nearly 76 years, Bessie Lee; his sister, Mary Herring and husband Dean; his daughters Ann Franklin, Pat Bryant and husband Charlie, Sue Wilkinson and husband Terry, and Lisa Hanks. He was the proud grandfather to Curtis Franklin and wife Redina, Angela Franklin, Josh Bryant and wife Heather, Sean Wilkinson, and Cameron Wilkinson and wife Lizzie. He also leaves behind five great grandchildren: Hannah, Laura, and Cade Franklin and Brooklyn and Hudson Bryant. Very special to him were his numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Perry and Hazel Hanks; his siblings John Hanks, Robert Hanks, Anita Jordan, Kathryn Hornecker, and Bill Hanks; a son-in-law Harley Franklin; and a daughter Carolyn Ruth Hanks.

Services will be held at Bluebonnet Funeral Home in Colleyville at 3 p.m. Saturday, March 2, 2019, with visitation from 6-8 p. m. Friday, March 1.