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The Journal of the San Juan Islands | SanJuanJournal.com
Wednesday, July 23, 2014 — 5
Obituaries
Lester Capell Gunther: 1925—2014 Beloved patriarch, dear friend, irascible coot, Lester Gunther perished Monday at his home on False Bay. Born Dec. 3, 1925 in Paris, France, Les moved at the age of six to Montclair, N.J. Dressed by his mother in LittleLord-Fauntleroy attire, he quickly learned his first English sentence, “Me ‘Merican boy!” in vain effort to avoid pummeling by the New Jersey youth with whom he would eventually become fast friends. Ejected from the Boy Scouts for shooting out Hole in the Forest streetlights with a slingshot, When a tree is felled an act for which he would The bark is made into a boat shoulder life-long contriThe sweetest wood into a lute tion, Les confided various The branches roof a house subsequent undertakings, The hole including releasing captive Where the tree grew bats into a crowded movie Soon greens with fern theater, and introducing a The hole in the forest spraying skunk to a family Remains the color of the sky event. These acts presaged an And people have enduring love of wildlife that No way of would eventually lead him Hiding the tree’s huge depth on collecting expeditions — Michael Dansfield around the world as the head of the Steinhart Divers for the California Academy of Sciences. Les volunteered for the Navy in 1943 at the age of 17, operating sonar on an escort vessel in the Pacific theater of WWII. “It was that or college,” he would explain. After graduating from USC on the GI Bill, Les moved to Portland, Ore., where he would meet the love of his life, Elizabeth (Betsy) Thayer, pursuing her throughout her college career at Stanford and proposing, as they liked to relate, beside a pile from a horse stable in coastal Oregon. He and Betsy bore two children who at times provided
no small consternation, but for whom he would demonstrate unfailing affection, support and loyalty. Once they were grown, Les and Betsy were free to relocate from Burlingame, Calif. to the San Juans, designing and building their final home here which they dubbed “Ultima Thule”. Contributed photo For 30 years Les and Betsy Lester Gunther enjoyed, and contributed to the enjoyability of, Friday Harbor. Referred to by some as “The Emperor of San Juan,” by more as their favorite “curmudgeon”, Les liked nothing more than cooking a delicious meal for a banquet of guests and presiding over animated conversations with them. An avid boatman, Les restored a number of classic wooden motor yachts and indulged in his love for hospitality by piloting friends about on CYA outings or just a sunny summer day. Whatever the occasion, Les was the consummate example of how to flavor it and how to savor it. Les is survived by loving wife Betsy, daughter Gretchen, son-in-law Patrick, son Erik, and grandson Forrest. They will miss him terribly and be forever grateful to have shared lives with Les. Les requested there be no memorial. A memorial will be held Saturday, July 26, 3 p.m. at 588 Mountain Shadows Lane. All are welcome. Carpool if you can. Arrangements are in the care of Evans Funeral Chapel and Crematory, Anacortes and the San Juan Islands. To share memories of Les, please sign the online guest register at www.evanschapel.com. — Family of Lester Gunther
No. 2:
TAMMY After losing her job and learning that her husband has been unfaithful, a woman hits the road with her profane, hard-drinking grandmother.
Stars: Melissa McCarthy, Susan Sarandon, Kathy Bates
PLANES: FIRE & RESCUE When Dusty learns that his engine is damaged and he may never race again, he joins forces with fire and rescue helicopter Blade Ranger and his team, The Smokejumpers, to battle a massive wildfire.
Stars: Dane Cook, Ed Harris, Julie Bowen
★ Still Showing: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes ★
The
Palace Theatre
24-HOUR MOVIE LINE: 370-5666 FIRST RUN MOVIES • ART FILMS • DOLBY SOUND TWO SCREENS • HEALTHIER POPCORN STATE-OF-THE-ART PROJECTION INFRARED SOUND FOR THE HEARING IMPAIRED THE ANDREW V. McLAGLEN CAREER EXHIBIT
Continued from page 3
Works or the Assessor. The Boston Whaler may end up sold as surplus equipment,
Undersheriff Bruce Distler said.
The Original “Band without Instruments!”
The BOBS
Saturday, July 26 7:30 pm • San Juan Community Theatre
It's time you got to know us Islanders are fortunate to have such outstanding public schools. But tax dollars do not always cover basic needs, let alone extras. Since 1999 the Community Foundation has given over $500,000 to the San Juan Islands School District to help ease that gap.
Every Dream Matters... Every Gift Counts www.sjicf.org 360 378 1001 PO Box 1352, Friday Harbor WA 98250
arts basic needs community education environment healthcare
grant, to cover the bulk of the department’s newest boat acquisition. Like the Sentinel, the 26-foot will be built from the ground up by Burlington-based Munson Boats. The sheriff ’s department now operates and maintains a fleet of four boats, in all: Sentinel, Guardian, the 25-year-old Boston Whaler and the 19-foot boat now stationed on Lopez. Once training for the Sentinel is complete, it is expected to be home-ported in Friday Harbor and the Guardian, a 32-footer acquired in 2005 for $260,000, is expected to be transferred to Orcas Island. Nou said the department faced a deadline of the end of July to place an order with Munson for construction of a new 26-foot boat. The federal grant that funded purchase of the Sentinel was also due to expire at the end of August, he said. If all goes according to plan, the boat now stationed on Lopez will likely be turned over to the county ER&R department, and then be available for use by various county departments, such as Parks, Public