Stanley P. Lesta Jr. Dies October 18

icon 1 Photo
Stanley P. Lesta Jr.

Stanley P. Lesta Jr.

author on Mar 19, 2019

Stanley Paul Lesta Jr. died at his home in Southampton on October 16, 2018, surrounded by his family, of cancer. He was 80.

Mr. Lesta was born to Stanley P. Lesta Sr. and Vilma Lesta (Bennett) in Baldwin on September 19, 1938. He and his family moved to Southampton when he was young, where they were congregants at the Basilica Parrish of Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. On March 27, nearly 60 years ago, he married Anna Mae Nelson and they started a life together in Southampton.

Mr. Lesta worked 30 years as an estate manager. Survivors said his employers were among his closest friends, including the Doherrs family, the Redpaths, the Meyers and the Hymens.

Before that he worked at the National Golf Links of America and Shinnecock Golf Club in Southampton, where his family says he enjoyed fulfillment and a lofty self-respect for his efforts.

When he wasn’t working, survivors said he enjoyed time with family and friends, golfing, gardening or simply having a beer. He will be most remembered for bringing out the best in others and for his creative thinking; ideas that would come to him while gardening or bird watching.

Mr. Lesta was predeceased by his son William. He is survived by his wife Anna Mae Lesta; children, Paul Lesta and wife Laura of Cobleskill, and Julianna Ritter and husband Mike of South Carolina; grandchildren, Wesley Wojcik and wife Madeline of East Quogue, Kristina Wojcik and husband Josh of Maine, Danielle Lesta of Oregon, Zach Lesta of Cobleskill, Michael Ritter and wife Katie of South Carolina, Shannon Williamson and husband Seth of Dallas, and Nick Lesta of Cobleskill; and great-grandchildren, Chloe Bonney, Emily Bonney and Aiden Ritter.

The family received friends at Brockett Funeral Home in Southampton. A funeral Mass was held at the Basilica Parish of Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary with The Reverend Michael Vetrano officiating. A small group of family gathered afterward for a reception at Shinnecock Golf Club.

You May Also Like:

Normalized Chaos

Donald Trump did not emerge in a vacuum. He is the product of a long line of teachers, each shaping his instincts, sharpening his worst impulses, and reinforcing a worldview where power matters more than truth, and notoriety is worth more than integrity. His father taught him the basics: that people are assets or liabilities, and that whole communities — particularly Black families — were to be avoided because they were “bad for business.” That worldview didn’t make Trump a racist in the classic sense; it made him a calculator, someone who learned early that prejudice could be profitable. He ... 3 Dec 2025 by Staff Writer

Show of Commitment

Deputy Mayor Len Zinnanti welcomed a packed house at the Southampton Cultural Center on Saturday, November 22. The event’s mission was clear: to educate the public about the undeniable threat posed by nitrogen leaching from residential septic systems. Dr. Christopher Gobler delivered the scientific facts, sharing extensive research on the health risks associated with rising nitrate levels in our water. My personal “aha” moment came when Dr. Gobler cited a study detailing how toxins from harmful algal blooms can even permeate the atmosphere. Tom Varney from the New York State Center for Clean Water Technology then presented the critical solution: ... by Staff Writer

Smile Thou Your Heart

Smile on the inside so nobody knows Feed your secret joy as your spirit grows Smile sweetly, smile smart Sunshine sparks, surprisingly straight Special supreme species shy sport Subtly share smile’s strong sparkle lyrics start. Richard Greene Hampton Bays by Staff Writer

Get Fit

Hampton Bays is a fitness paradise. There are many ways to make us fit, and maybe make us healthy and live longer. It takes a little exercise. Some exercise is low-impact, and some is grueling, hardcore, sweat-pouring exercise. Low-impact is walking. Two years ago, I started walking around my neighborhood, then I started a one-mile loop from the train station around downtown Hampton Bays. Now I walk over the Ponquogue Bridge five to eight times a week. It’s all low-impact but good for our health. To get more out of the bridge walk, many of us do 200 steps backward ... by Staff Writer

Worthy of Debate

The long knives came out in response to my recent letters condemning the violence toward ICE agents doing the hazardous work of finding illegals to screen for deportation. My sense is that the recent ballot success in New Jersey, Virgina and New York City has reawakened a Democrat voice that had been gagging on the Trump agenda and its broad implementation. Steve Crispinelli [“Useless Durak,” Letters, November 6] is perfectly free to defend the woke agenda, defend what he believes is free speech and how successful this first year of Donald Trump’s second term have been, but the name-calling adds ... by Staff Writer

Smile

Smile on beloved creatures and loved by eyes. Smile at wonderful adventures and memories. Smile at the encouraging act of environmental cleanup. Smile at the good deeds that keep us alive, till all the way into the heavenly skies. Jasmine Hissock Hampton Bays by Staff Writer

Proud Legacy

I want to extend my deepest thanks to the voters of Southampton for placing your trust in me once again to serve as a Town Trustee. It is an honor I do not take lightly. Every day, I am reminded of how fortunate I am to help steward our extraordinary bays, beaches and waterways — resources that define who we are as a community and connect us to generations of people who cared for this shoreline long before us. I am excited to continue the long, proud legacy of the Trustees as we work to protect water quality, support our ... by Staff Writer

Southampton Town PD Hits Record Staffing Level To Meet Demands of 'Police Service'

The Southampton Town Board last week approved and applauded the appointment of Alonso Redondo to ... 2 Dec 2025 by Michael Wright

Southampton Wants To Streamline Review for Locally Subsidized Housing Projects

Southampton Town plans to create a new zoning overlay district specifically for affordable housing projects ... by Michael Wright

Gathering Facts

Bob Giuffra is undoubtedly one of the country’s most accomplished litigators. He is also the chair of the Lake Agawam Conservancy and in that capacity wrote an unfortunate and misleading letter last week [“Playing Politics,” Letters, November 27] accusing me of staging a “political ambush” for raising concerns over the village’s review and supposed “approval” of recent plantings along Gin Lane. He further claimed that I pressured the village attorney, an allegation that would be laughable if it were not so recklessly untrue. One would expect a greater regard for facts from an attorney of Mr. Giuffra’s stature before attaching ... by Staff Writer