Lester Cheney Nelson

Lester was born Oct. 10, 1924, in Jamestown, N.Y., the son of Clarence G. Nelson and Lucile Cheney Nelson.

He was a graduate of Jamestown High School, attended Chicago Technical College to study civil and structural engineering, and was a World War II army veteran. Lester spent several years in real estate with Cass-Nelson Realty and then worked for NYS-DOT as a right of way agent. He moved to Florida in 1977 and began a career in property management. He was a 73 year member of the Mount Moriah Lodge Masonic Temple.

He was forever “young at heart” spending quality time with his daughters and four grandsons: Scott and Jason Bingham and Eric and Kevin Saff. Besides riding go-carts and skateboards, he parasailed, kayaked and white water rafted, hiked/camped in Colorado and Arizona, backpacked in the Grand Canyon at age 76 and skydived at 78. He took many road trips with his daughters and especially loved the Letchworth Park area and Erie Canal in New York State. Besides enjoying the diverse scenery in Arizona, he loved learning about historical sites and the Old West. Lester’s two daughters: Christine Bingham of Tucson, Ariz., and Callie Saff of Bradenton, Fla., could not have had a better role model as to how to live, love and enjoy life.

He is survived by a sister, Marilyn Gossett of Dunkirk, N,Y.; nephews: Jeffrey Gossett and David Gossett; niece, Sandy Jensen; two great-grandchildren; as well as his former wife, Phyllis Cass.