Lester Franklin Darnell

Our most beloved brother and son passed away after a short battle with melanoma.

Lester was the light and joy of our family. We all adored him. As the youngest, and only boy, in the family his mother and older sisters loved to spoil him and he playfully took full advantage of that devotion. He was sweet, smart, generous, funny, and successful at everything he did. Les had a keen interest in and knowledge of sports, trivia, and presidential history and liked to show off by naming all the presidents in order frontward and backward.

From a very young age, Les was active in sports. He was a talented athlete and excelled at every sport he attempted including t-ball, little league football, swim club, tennis – he was a member of the state champion tennis team at Heritage Hall for four years, skiing, hustling his sisters at pool, hunting, and especially golf.

Les loved traveling and conducted extensive research before visiting a new city. He had a sharp memory and could relay details of everyplace he ever went and make you want to go there, too.

Additionally, Les was a fine cabinetmaker and built all the furniture in his home. He enjoyed making leaded glass lampshades and remodeling his house. There was always a project to work on when his mother and sister visited Scottsdale.

Born in Jackson, Michigan, Les grew up in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, then moved to Scottsdale, Arizona where he was a realtor and was named a top ten buyer agent in 2012. Les graduated from Heritage Hall High School and attended the University of Oklahoma where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He had many lifelong friends in Oklahoma City, Scottsdale, and across the U.S.

Les loved his family and his friends but the most important thing about him was that he loved life. He lived every minute of his life to the fullest, just the way he wanted to, and was always looking forward to the next adventure.

Preceding Les in death were his parents, Richard D. Darnell and Josephine M. Darnell, and his sister, Christine Darnell Daniels. He will be deeply missed by his sister, Donna Darnell, of Oklahoma City and many friends and relatives.

A memorial service for Lester will be held at All Souls' Episcopal Church in Oklahoma City at 11:00 am on Friday, January 10, 2014.

The family would like to thank all of Les’s friends for their support and care. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Melanoma Research Foundation would be appreciated.