Lester Don Thatcher

Lester Don Thatcher, age 83, died on April 15, 2024, in Washington, Utah, after having been ill for a year with pleural mesothelioma. Les was born on March 3, 1941, to Marion Estella and Wilford Everett Thatcher. He grew up in Utah and Oregon. After graduating from David Douglas High School in Portland, Les attended Brigham Young University for a year before serving a mission in Seoul, South Korea for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After returning from Seoul, Les again attended B.Y.U. where he met Renae Harris, the sister of his missionary companion. They married in the Logan Temple and had four sons, Darren, Jeff, Reed, and Joshua. Following a divorce, Les moved to Salt Lake City, Utah where he met and married Marsha Ellen Black in the Salt Lake Temple. Les owned a construction company in Salt Lake City. Seven months after their marriage, Les and Marsha moved to Anchorage, Alaska where their daughters, Joy and Julie, were born. The Alaska years were a great family adventure. Les built two new homes for his family in Anchorage and ran a successful commercial construction company. Their second home was on Sand Lake, where they could bring their float plane to the backyard and enjoy boating on the lake. Outdoor fun abounded in Alaska. During their years in Anchorage, Les’s parents, and Marsha’s parents both came to serve missions there at the same time, a wonderful experience for Les, Marsha and family. After nine years, Les and Marsha moved their family to a farm in Oregon City, Oregon. While in Oregon, Les built three beautiful homes for his family and continued to run his construction company. They lived in Oregon City, Beavercreek, and Portland until 2017, when Les and Marsha relocated to Washington, Utah for their retirement years.
Les was a faithful and dedicated lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and had a strong, unshakable testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ. He loved all his children, their spouses and his many grandchildren and great-grandchildren dearly and served them throughout his life. Les not only cared for and served his family, but also served in many church callings and served his friends and community.
Camping, fishing, hunting, archery, riding horses, white-water rafting, hiking, boating, four wheeling, flying his float plane, doing finish carpentry, cabinet building, and building furniture all brought great enjoyment to Les and to his family and friends.
Les was preceded in death by his parents, Estella and Wilford Thatcher; father-in-law, Dall Black; brother, David Thatcher; brothers-in-law, Gary and David Black; grandson, Karson Owens; and first wife, Renae Burton. He is survived by his wife, Marsha Thatcher; children, Darren Thatcher, Jeff (Ann) Thatcher, Reed (Sakurako) Thatcher, Joshua Thatcher, Joy (Joshua) Owens, and Julie (Michael) Bennett; mother-in-law, Joy Black; sisters, Carol (Jay) Brown, Nathalia Crookston, Ann (Gary) Griffith, and Joy (Mike) Candrian; brothers, Leo (Becky) Thatcher, Bob (Priscilla) Thatcher, and Karl (Kim) Thatcher; sisters-in-law, Gail Palmer and Sheila Thatcher; sixteen grandchildren; fifteen great-grandchildren; and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.
Les’s family thank all who cared for Les during his illness and acknowledge the kind and caring service of his caregivers from Sun Tree Hospice. Acts of service too numerous to name were provided by his family, friends, hospice caregivers, and many nurses, doctors, and other medical providers.