LESTER H. RADCLIFFE JR.

BERNARD – Lester H. Radcliffe Jr. died peacefully Oct. 26, 2008, at his home. Lester was born Dec. 9, 1926, the son of Lester and Audrey (Thurston) Radcliffe. Lester grew up in Bass Harbor and Bernard surrounded by an extended family of Thurstons and Moores. In his youth he tended lobster traps from a peapod and perfected an impressive curve ball which he later employed for Tremont in the town team baseball league, which was popular at the time. Like many young men of his era, Lester delayed his graduation from Pemetic High School by volunteering for a stint in the Army Air Force, where he trained as an airplane mechanic. After his return home, Lester finished school and married Edith Worcester. He and his wife settled in Bernard, where he went to work for his grandfather, Fred at F.W. Thurston Co., buying lobsters and supporting the local fishing fleet. Lester eventually purchased the business and retired from running the dock in 1991. Work defined his life, but he managed to find time for downhill skiing and involvement in his community as a school trustee and supporter of Bass Harbor Memorial Library and Tremont Historical Society. On Sept. 27, 1995, Lester married Trudy Beale and lived out his life in Bernard surrounded by his new family. He is survived by his wife, Trudy; sons, Steven and wife, Nancy, of Chesapeake, Va., and Michael and wife, Elizabeth, of Southwest Harbor; granddaughter, Christina and husband, Derek; and great-grandson, Mason, all of Portland; stepchildren, Leon of Bernard and Kathy of Southwest Harbor; stepgrandchildren, Courtney, Caitlin, Isaiah and Cameron; brothers, Bill Moore of Connecticut and John Moore of Maryland; sister, Mary (Moore) Pokoney of Franklin; many nieces and nephews. Lester was predeceased by a sister, Ann (Moore) Rich. Services will be held at the convenience of the family in the spring 2009 in Bernard. Donations in his memory may be made to Hospice of Hancock County or Bass Harbor Memorial Library.