Kenneth H. "Ken" Lester, Sr.

Kenneth Harrison Lester, Sr. went to be with his Lord and Savior on March 10, 2025.

Celebration of Life services for Ken Lester (83), will be on March 22, 2025, at 11:00 am at Ashland United Methodist Church, Columbia, SC. In honor of Ken, the family asks that friends wear garnet and black, the University of South Carolina Gamecock colors. Formal dress is not required. Ken never liked wearing a coat and tie!

Ken was born in Wilson, NC, on April 4, 1941, the oldest son of the late Lonnie H. Lester and Polly Woodall Lester. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and a Juris Doctorate, both from the University of South Carolina.

Ken practiced family law in Columbia for many years. He was the founding partner of Lester and Hendrix Law Firm. He was a Diplomat in the American College of Family Trial Lawyers, an organization limited to the top 100 family court trial lawyers in the United States.

He was a Fellow and past president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers which consists of 1,700 of the top matrimonial attorneys in the United States and Canada. For over 24 years, Ken served on the faculty of the Houston Family Law Institute, now known as the National Family Law Trial Institute, which is held for nine days each year at the South Texas College in Houston, Texas. Ken was a longtime member of a close-knit group of national family court attorneys who called themselves “The Family.”

Ken served as the Chairman of the Family Law Section of the South Carolina Bar and as the Section Delegate to the South Carolina Bar House of Delegates. He served as Chairman of the Family Law Committee of the South Carolina Association of Justice and was also a member and former board member of the Association.

He was Chairman of the Richland and Lexington County Bar Family Law Committees. He taught the Family Law portion of the South Carolina Bar exam preparation course. He was a frequent speaker at the SC Bar’s continuing legal education programs and he started the popular annual program now called “Family Law Hot Tips.”

Ken was a 2017 Platinum recipient of the Compleat Lawyer Award from the South Carolina School of Law. He also served as a mediator in complex custody and/or financial cases in Family Court.

When asked in a 2017 interview with Lawyers Weekly what attracted him to family law, Ken replied, “I love people and I like to serve others.” His life, both professional and personal, embodied those words.

In addition to his success in the legal sphere, Ken was an accomplished athlete, playing football, baseball, and basketball in high school and football and baseball in college. He was an All-American football player at McClenaghan High School in Florence and played football for four years and baseball for two years at the University of South Carolina. At USC, he was also a 1962 Academic All ACC football player.

Ken was a lifelong avid Gamecock fan, evidenced by his membership in the Letterman’s Association and the Gamecock Club (President in 1981). He was a member of “The Rambling Roosters,” a group of former teammates who annually attended a pro football game coached by their former USC quarterback, Dan Reeves. After graduating from USC, Ken could be seen at almost every home football, baseball, and basketball game.

Ken wasn’t done competing after college. Early in his legal career, Ken was a nationally ranked handball player and the owner of a Columbia sports complex called “The Courthouse.” When his clients called his law office, his assistant could truthfully tell them that he was at the Courthouse.

Ken was a renowned storyteller who never met a stranger. Making friends and telling a story- for the first time or the 40th time- gave him great joy!

Even more than his athletic and legal careers, Ken treasured his amazing, loving family, especially the love of his life, Rose Nell Bruorton, originally of Hemingway, SC. Ken and Nell enjoyed their time in Columbia as well as their many travels to see friends. They also built wonderful family memories at their vacation home on Fripp Island.

Ken is survived by his wife of 60 years and his staunchest supporter, Nell; his daughter, Kristine Lester Long of Chapin; son, Kenneth Harrison Lester, Jr., of Irmo; and daughter Kelli Lester Lash (Pete) of Charlotte, NC. He was a loving “PopPop” to his six grandchildren: Peter, David, Ginny, and John Lash, all of Charlotte, NC; and Kyle and Katelyn Long, of Chapin, SC. He loved to attend their sporting events.

He was preceded in death by his brother John Robert Lester (Jane), and is survived by siblings Dicke (Evelyn) Lester of Myrtle Beach; Lon (Laura) Lester of Cherry Grove; and Flo Lester (Jay) Vinson of Florence.

Memorials may be made to Ashland United Methodist Church or via mail to 2600 Ashland Road, Columbia, SC 29210 or to the National Kidney Foundation or via mail to Attn: Gift Processing, National Kidney Foundation HQ, 30 East 33rd Street, NY, NY 10016. Please advise Nell Lester if you donate via mail.

The family wishes to thank all the wonderful doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals for the loving care they provided to Ken.

Temples-Halloran Funeral Home is caring for the family at this time.