Lester King

Colonie – Lester R. King Jr. entered into eternal rest on August 2, 2013 at Albany Memorial Hospital following a long illness; his family was by his side. Les was born on June 24, 1934 in Leominster, MA and was the son of the late Lester R. King, Sr. and Gertrude M. King (Valliere). He lived in Glens Falls and Watervliet for much of his life.

As a youth, Les enjoyed many carefree days playing baseball and rooting for his favorite teams, The Boston Braves, and later The Boston Red Sox. Les also experienced great sadness at an early age when he learned his father had been killed during The Battle of Rhine while serving in WWII. The most memorable trip Les said he ever took was when he visited The Lorraine Cemetery in France, where his father is buried, to attend The U.S. Battle Monument Commission's dedication there in 1960.A draftsman by trade, Les worked for many years at the Watervliet Arsenal and for more than 25 years at the VA Medical Center in Albany before retiring in 1996. An auto racing aficionado, Les served as a racing club photographer for The American Racing Drivers Club (ARDC), United Racing Club (URC), Northeast Midget Association, Atlantic Coast Old Timers (ACOT), Northeast Stock Car Old Timers (NESCOT) and NASCAR. He photographed the sport for more than 50 years and his pictures and write ups appeared in several publications including National Speedsport News, Illustrated Speedway News, and Vintage Oval Magazine. A racing historian and archivist, Les was a member of ACOT & NESCOT. He served as 2nd Vice President of ACOT for 2 terms and received the club's President's Award in 2005 for his many years of dedication to the club and the sport of auto racing. He cherished the many friendships he formed with fellow racing enthusiasts over the years. Les was a communicant of St. Patrick's Church in Watervliet and Christ Our Light Church in Colonie.

Les was predeceased by his wife of 26 years, the Late Geraldine M. King. He is survived by a son, Charles R. King of Watervliet. He is also survived by his wife, Rita, whom he married in 1996; along with several cousins, and his dog Trixie.

Les' family thanks the staff at Albany Memorial Hospital for the attentive care they gave him throughout his long illness. Funeral services for Les will be held Wednesday August 7th at 12 p.m. at New Comer Cannon Funeral Home, 343 New Karner Rd., Colonie. Interment will follow at St. Patrick's Cemetery, Watervliet. (Rt. 155 south of Central Ave.) Calling hours will be Tuesday August 6th from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. Contributions may be made in Les' name to either NESCOT, or The Saratoga Auto Racing Museum, 110 Ave. of the Pines Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.