Lester M. Foulks 1938-2021
Lester Foulks, who has manned and managed the receiving and shipping room at Mildred Hoit since 1972, died on June 8th. He was 83. Like Fred Hoit, his boss of 20 years, he died with his "boots on". He worked up until 4 days before he died.
He has left a giant hole in the hearts of the legions who loved him including all the staff of Mildred Hoit, past and present. We would like to extend our deepest sympathy to his family and friends.
Lester and I have been colleagues for over 49 years. He was the hardest worker I ever knew. Anything that was asked of him, he would tackle full on and immediately. He was gracious, highly disciplined, honest and ethical. He also loved his own jokes. He was kind and generous of spirit. He was a man of faith. And he was a faithful friend.
He provided delivery and shipping services to our customers above and beyond their expectations and many would walk back to his "office" to thank him and often offer Christmas cards and greetings. I remember in particular how proud he was to have had a special visit from Liz Fleitas, Eunice and Julian Cohen, and Carol Shore.
He was also proud to have accumulated 100's of gift wrapped and boxed packages ready to be picked up by Chris, our UPS man, for Christmas on the first day of work after Thanksgiving. There were some years UPS had to send a second truck out to handle the volume.
He is survived by a special member of our team- Frances Turner, our accomplished seamstress, who has been his best friend and companion during this final and happy stage of his life. Our sympathy goes out to her. He was so lucky to have you in his life Frances.
We will never be the same without Lester. But we are all the better for having known him.
Mary C. Gushee
I worked with Lester for 25 years at Mildred Hoit. Words cannot adequately describe him. He was always there to help no matter what the task and his smile was priceless. I just can’t imagine Mildred Hoit without him. Some people are truly irreplaceable and he is one. Lester, you will always be in our hearts and you will always be missed!
Mary, Heather, Molly, and everyone at Mildred Hoit,
I’m heartbroken about Lester. He was a gentleman’s gentleman. He had the strongest of work ethics, was a team player, and he enjoyed coming to work every day with a great attitude and smile. The friendships he built with everyone at Mildred Hoit are irreplaceable.
I always said he was the backbone of Mildred Hoit. Lester had a loyalty to Mildred Hoit that no longer exists in today’s age of high tech and people always changing jobs. When Mildred Hoit was hit by an upcoming hurricane and the aftermath of cleaning up, Lester was always there with more than a helping hand to move merchandise to a higher ground and return the goods after the storm back downstairs.
On a personal level, I was always very happy to see Lester and he always gave me the warmest of greetings when I came to the store for a visit. I was very fortunate to have known him and will always remember his kindness. His strong work ethic and friendly demeanor were truly an inspiration to anyone who knew him.
My thoughts and prayer are with all of you and Lester’s family. May his strong friendship always live inside you and always be a part of you.
Stefano Bravo
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