Tributes paid to war hero and community stalwart from Wotton-under-Edge

Robert Paul Lester, known as Paul, a former engineer and soldier who was dropped into France in a wooden glider the day after D-Day, passed away in Dursley’s Vale Community Hospital at the age of 98 on Monday, July 25.

His family – including his wife of 69 years, Ruth Lester – described him as a “charming and good-looking man” who treasured his family and friends and lived an “amazing life”.

“He was welcomed by everyone,” said Anna Burns, Mr Lester’s daughter, who lived in the same home he did in Adey’s Lane, Wotton.

“And he made everyone feel warm and welcome too.

My daughter recalled that, when she would come back home and walk through the door, he would always bang the newspaper down and say ‘aah’.

“You always knew he was in the house because he had this amazing laugh.”

Mr Lester was born in Streetly, near Sutton Coldfield, on August 6, 1917, the son of a generous but stern Victorian Black Country Ironmaster. He had two siblings: a brother and a sister.

His career in education would take him from Lindley to the surroundings of Sedburgh in the Yorkshire Dales, and, finally, to Queens’ College, Cambridge, where he studied mechanical engineering.

After university, Mr Lester was apprenticed as a chain maker in Manchester, but the start of the war followed and he joined the 5th Parachute Regiment. The war ended for Mr Lester when, a day after D-Day, he was dropped into France in a wooden glider and was struck by shrapnel.

For his service in the war, Mr Lester acquired a number of medals and an MBE. Recently, he was proud to receive the Legion d’Honneur on a visit to France.

Later on, when serving as a Major in Palestine as part of an effort to bring peace to the Middle East, Mr Lester would meet Ruth, the love of his life.

They found one another in Jerusalem, where Mrs Lester was working as a physiotherapist, and he proposed underneath the cedars of Lebanon. The pair married in St George’s Church in Hanover Square, Westminster, on August 31, 1946.

Mrs Lester, who described her husband’s death after 69 years of marriage as a “terrible loss”, described him as a “charming and very good looking man”.

Mr Lester would go on to work for his father’s building firm before becoming a managing director of the James Bridge Metal Company. In later years he would establish a clothing business.

In 1979, the pair would move to Bradley House in Wotton. He quickly amassed a large group of friends through his voluntary work at Yercombe Lodge day care centre and for repairing clocks and watches (often in exchange for a bottle of whiskey).

He quickly became known as the town’s honorary engineer, and was given the task of maintaining Wotton’s Tolsey clock for many years, raising himself up on a cherry picker to carry out repairs well into his eighties. Mr Lester was also a founder member of the town’s probus club.

Eventually, only several years ago, Mr and Mrs Lester would move to Adey’s Lane with their daughter and her husband, Anna and Richard Burns.

They told the Gazette that, above all of his other achievements, Mr Lester regarded family and friendship as the most important. He and Mrs Lester had three children - Mark Lester, Anna Burns and Claire Guyer - and 10 grandchildren.

A humanist memorial service for Mr Lester will be held on Tuesday, August 16, at Bristol Memorial Woodlands. Guests are asked to arrive at 11.30am for noon.

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