Martha Anne Lester

Martha Anne Breland Lester, 85, passed away peacefully on January 1, 2019, in Lexington.

She was born in Richmond, Kentucky, on November 19, 1933, to the Rev. Clyde and Mrs. Bessie (Nicholson) Breland, but soon thereafter moved with her family to Louisville, where she was raised.  After graduating from Shawnee High School for Girls, she attended the University of Louisville on a full scholarship, receiving both an undergraduate degree and a Masters in Education.  She taught in elementary and middle schools, mostly within the Jefferson County Public School System but also at schools in the Lexington area, for more than 50 years.  During her career, she taught every grade from Kindergarten through 8th.  Her students became teachers, lawyers, nurses, doctors, and, in at least one instance, a National League Football player.

In 1956, she married her husband, Harold D. Lester, who became a well-known pediatric dentist in the Louisville area.  In addition to supporting his practice, she was active in and served as President of the Alliance of the American Dental Association, the Alliance of the Kentucky Dental Association, and the Alliance of the Louisville Dental Society.  Dr. Lester predeceased her in death in 2014, after 58 years of marriage.

She was known for her glorious soprano voice, and, over many years, sang as a featured soloist at numerous churches and other venues and, on one occasion, as a guest with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  She and her husband were dedicated members of Walnut Street Baptist Church in Louisville for more than 45 years, where, in addition to singing, she directed numerous children’s choirs and musicals, a role that she continued at First United Methodist Church and Liberty Road Faith Fellowship Church after moving to Lexington in 2000.  She was also proud of her volunteer work at Baptist Health Lexington, which she began after her husband’s death.

She is survived by her children, Harold D. Lester, Jr. (Donald McMinn), and Elizabeth Lester Finch (Robert Finch), and four grandchildren, Walt and Breland Finch and Lillian and Alexander Lester-McMinn. 

A funeral service honoring her life will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, January 5, 2019, at Liberty Road Faith Fellowship Church, 2734 Liberty Road, Lexington, with visitation at the church beginning at 9:15 a.m. prior to the service.  A brief remembrance will follow at 2:30 p.m. in the Faith Chapel at Resthaven Memorial Park, 4400 Bardstown Road, Louisville, prior to burial.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Liberty Road Faith Fellowship Church of Lexington.