Dole, Lester Robert – “He was always there”, is how a loved one described him, and it is so true. Les was a rare man and at his core had a fierce loyalty to work, community, friends, and family. He had a warm smile and would tell jokes to push through his shyness which gained him fast friends. You felt like you knew him right away and came across like an old friend. His hugs were the best, like a big teddy bear.
Les grew up in Marshfield, Massachusetts where he showed off his athletic talents in football and in general athletics, winning the Gurney Sportsmanship Award which earned him a place on the permanent plaque at the school.
Most know him as an incredibly hard worker even when he was young. One of his jobs was building homes with his brother, David. This would be helpful in later life when he owned a beautiful Victorian home that was often in need of a handyman. He could never watch the movie “The Money Pit” for fear of flashbacks.
Les graduated from Acadia in 77’ with a BSc in Geology. From his time at Acadia he leaves behind a dear friend of over 50 years that we consider family, Dave (Dr. MacKinnon), who only has kind words about the person he was, and how people spoke of him.
At Acadia, he was on the swim team and the diving club. He was the Nowi diving instructor there, not to be confused with PADI which he considered to be more of the tourist version of diving. He was proud of flunking his new German Professor. This was a little awkward for his daughter, Jennifer, when he was also her professor, but I’m happy to report they both passed the course … barely. He loved the ocean, and worked as a hard hat diver for a time. In his later years he continued that love by moving to Nova Scotia to a home on the Ocean. The home coincidentally, ended up close to where his great grandmother, Lida Mae Weston grew up and he visited as a child.
Lester was introduced to his beautiful wife, Janet, by his lifelong friend, George, who became his brother-in-law. Only a year and a half after their meeting they were wed. He affectionately referred to her as his bride his whole life, and called her JAC as her nickname. Their dates revolved around building large train sets together. They recently celebrated 46 years of marriage together. They enjoyed many wonderful adventures on cruises and overseas especially in later years when they retired. The beautiful sunset views across the ocean were times they especially cherished together.
At home, no one knew exactly what his job was. His answer was always, “Do you have a need to know?” With that, it was time to learn how to throw a football or play basketball with his only child, Jennifer. Leaving his top secret work life at the shipyard behind where he was a photogrammetry specialist. He enjoyed the friendships he made over the 40 years at Electric Boat building submarines and retired as a Distinguished Ship Builder. Les was very touched by the outpouring of support from his friends from work in his final weeks.
You can’t remember Les properly without talking about music. He thought in music. Every sentence you said if there was part of a song in it he would sing it. He got through studying at Acadia by creating songs that he would write his study notes to. There were the Beatles of course, but you could always be sure if the time was right he would throw in a rousing rendition of themes such as Super Chicken, or the Gummy Bears. At other times he was a proud bass singer with the Boston pops and could always bust out Handel’s Messiah. Trombone, guitar, piano, organ and other various instruments he dabbled with, which were influenced growing up as part of his musically talented mother’s side, the Gilroy family. He always wanted a fender bass and on his 72nd birthday Janet gave him his prized fender bass for his birthday.
He was always happy to have “Little Jennifer Dole”, he said having a daughter was so wonderful he could play sports with her and then they could get dressed up and go to father daughter dances. She grew up to be “Little Jennifer Vey” and at her wedding, danced a viennese waltz with her to The Sleeping Beauty Waltz by Tchaikovsky. That day he felt like he gained a son with Trevor, they shared a special bond. His grandsons, Kieran and Owen gave him a huge sense of love, laughs, and pride.
As he put it, he finished one of the important jobs of a grandfather … to teach the grandkids to play cribbage. In their last game they beat him, and he could not have been more proud.
Les was an all around rare person who was so interesting in all his pursuits and loved so much by so many. He did not want to leave at the end, he felt he had so much left to do, so many moments in the boys lives he wanted to be a part of. He may not have had the peace he wanted, but it was the peace he needed.
In his memory please be nice to those you meet every day, the people you don’t know just trying to get by in the world and brighten up their day. If you would like to give a donation, please give to the cancer society.
On August 18, 2022, he left behind his wife, Janet Dole; his daughter and son-in-law, Jennifer and Trevor Vey; grandsons, Kieran and Owen; his brother and sister-in-law, David and Debbie Dole; his loving extended family and friends, George and Linda Greenwood, Kristen Greenwood and Danielle Greenwood, Dr. David Mackinnon, you know who else you are.
He was preceded in death by his father and mother, Robert Dole and Isabel (Gilroy).
Details on a celebration of life will be available at a later date.
A message of condolence for the family may be left by posting your comment as a guest in the area below.
