Jack died peacefully at home surrounded by his immediate family on Friday, July 19th. He had been diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in February and underwent treatment until April 30th. In early June, he made the difficult decision to end treatment, choosing to spend his remaining time at home in hospice.

Jack's quick wit, humor, and sometimes ire were his trademark traits. He was an artist and an author, and he had a passion for learning. Born in Sanger, California, to Lois Mae Hickman and Jack Lowell Lester, he attended Sanger schools. It is in Sanger that he met his wife, Carolynn Ann Heinauer (Carole), at the age of five, during Sunday school at the Methodist Church. He studied psychology at the University of California at Berkeley, where he made great friends and memories. He was a passionate fan of Cal football. He married Carole on winter break during his Senior Year, on December 23, 1971, in Carmel, California.

Jack and Carole moved to San Francisco while Jack got his doctorate from the University of San Francisco, Dental School. In 1974, Jack purchased a dental practice on the top floor of 450 Sutter Street in San Francisco. Carole and Jack moved several times while living in the City, their last home was on 25th Avenue in the Richmond District next to Golden Gate Park, one of their favorite places. After their two daughters were born, they moved to Sleepy Hollow in San Anselmo, Marin County, in 1989. They loved the community and became active in the Sleepy Hollow Presbyterian Church, Sleepy Hollow Homes Association, and Swim Team.

In 2003, Jack and his family moved to Clovis, California, near Fresno, where Jack's parents lived. Jack was the dentist at Table Mountain Rancheria caring for casino staff and tribal members and their families until 2017. Upon retirement, Jack found a passion for watercolor painting and became a prolific artist. He enjoyed sharing his artwork with family and friends, often gifting his pieces. Jack and Carole loved taking drives through the countryside, where Carole took landscape photos for him to contemplate painting. He dabbled in pastels, charcoal drawing, mechanical drawing, and metal mobiles, which he learned from books about Alexander Calder (1898-1976). Jack never passed up an opportunity to play chess, cribbage, or dominoes. He designed a family cribbage tournament and participated with Sleepy Hollow friends in a domino tournament for many years. He also wrote a novel, yet to be published.

Jack is survived by his wife of 52 years, Carole; daughter Gwendolyn Vinckier and her husband, Nicholas Vinckier, and children, Theodore and Viola of Escondido, CA; Margaret Prince and her husband, Christopher Prince, and daughter, Mallory of Clovis, CA. Jack is also survived by Lena Nilsson of San Francisco, Gwendolyn's and Margaret's nanny, who is considered family. Jack's remains have been cremated and will be scattered in his favorite places along with his first Golden Retriever, Huckleberry. [There will be no funeral service, as he requested.]