Timothy Gene Lester

Timothy “Tim, Timmy” Gene Lester, 62, of Columbus, Ohio, passed away surrounded by loved ones on Saturday, September 12th, 2026.

Timmy grew up wreaking havoc in Niles, Ohio, with his best buds. As a teen, he was lovingly known for getting into trouble and causing his parents’ gray hair. As he got older, his troublemaking ways slowed down, but his friendships never changed. He kept a group chat on his phone with those same best buds, and every time his phone would light up with a message from one of them, he would instantly start smiling. While he may have grown up, his humor had not, and he loved nothing more than making fun of his buddies.

He later moved to Central Ohio, where he had two daughters and eventually married the love of his life. With her came four stepchildren, whom he loved as his own. He took great pride in being a family man. If you knew Tim, you knew how much he loved his family and how proud he was of his kids.

One thing he made sure to instill in his kids was the ability to take a joke. Family dinners remained a weekly tradition well into his children’s adulthood, and you could always count on endless laughter and jokes at each other’s expense; all out of love. No matter what was going on in life, good or bad, you could find Tim with his family, working to get through it together. He had a heart of gold and the patience of a saint, something he deemed necessary considering five out of six of his kids are girls.

Tim also cherished his role of “Papaw” to his granddaughter. He all but begged his daughters to hurry up and give him a grandkid, and from the moment he laid eyes on her, he was in love. It didn’t matter if he was tired from a long day at work; anything that little girl wanted, she was going to get. Playing hide-and-seek, taking care of baby dolls, watching Frozen over and over again; anything she asked for, he would make happen. He loved being a grandfather and getting to relive some of his favorite memories of his children’s childhood with her.

Tim had a long and successful career at Aunt Millie’s Bakery, where he took pride in his role as the Columbus Branch Manager. He went above and beyond, stepping out of his office daily to assist with running routes and making sure his colleagues were taken care of.

Tim is survived by his wife, Beth Lester; his children, Alyssa (Nick) Baez, Amber (Johny) Quach, Carson Adamaitis, Chandler Adamaitis, Cori Adamaitis, and Riley (Jeremy) Mullins; his granddaughter, Isla Quach; his siblings, Pam (Bruce) Llewellyn and Bryan Lester; and his beloved crazy pup, Loki.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Ronald and Patricia Lester.

There will be a celebration of life in his honor on October 2nd at 6 PM at Antrim Park Shelterhouse; 5800 Olentangy River Rd, Columbus, OH 43085. Please wear your Buckeyes or Browns gear. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the American Heart Association.

May we all live like Tim.