September 17, 1937 ~ September 19, 2021
Lester (Les) was born into a large family in St. Cloud, Florida to Walton and Viola Tyson. He was an identical twin to his brother Leslie. It was never a dull moment in St. Cloud as he was one of nine Tyson children. As a young man he enjoyed hunting, fishing, working in the family-owned orange groves and dodging the occasional alligator. After high school graduation, he enlisted in the United States Air Force and after a short period in Texas, was relocated to California where he and his brother worked on B-52 planes at Castle Air Force Base in Merced. It was here that he met his caring wife Judi and decided to stay and build a family.
Les worked in the automotive industry for most of his life – most of his career was spent as the service manager at Smith Chevrolet for 26 years and then spending the last 20 years at Associated Feed and Supply. He was a very hard worker and didn’t retire until 2020. As a follower of Christ, he was also an active member of Monte Vista Chapel. He served in many different ministries over the years such as building sets in the Nativity drive-thru, fixing automobiles for single women, helping the young boys in “Boys Brigade”, serving as an Elder, and caring for the physical needs of the church on special workdays, but his favorite position was as an usher where he could greet all he met with a friendly smile. Les loved the Lord and this love guided him to serve where he was needed. He enjoyed gardening and was handy and helpful in every way. Les was a humble, gentle person and kind to all he met. He will be remembered as a loving father and grandfather who could fix just about anything and gave selflessly to his family, never asking for anything in return.
Les was deeply loved and appreciated by his family. He is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Judi Tyson; children Scott (Cindy) Tyson, Vicki (Adam) Crowell and Ron (Anita) Tyson; identical twin brother Leslie Tyson and sister Mary Warden (from Florida); grandchildren Max, Logan, Luke, Ellie, Greta, Meg, Hans and Wil. He was preceded in death by his parents and six siblings.
Memorial contributions can be made in his memory to Samaritan’s Purse at P.O. Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607 or The Navigators at P.O. Box 6079 Albert Lea, MN 56007-6679.
A service to honor the life of Les will be at Allen Mortuary (247 N. Broadway) on Thursday, October 7, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. with reception to follow at the Carnegie Arts Center. A military interment at San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery will be private.
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