[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 164 (Thursday, October 12, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1375]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING THE LIFE OF LESTER MANDELL

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. STEPHANIE N. MURPHY

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 12, 2017

  Mrs. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life of 
Lester Mandell, who transformed countless communities in central 
Florida though his work as a builder and transformed countless lives 
through his generosity as a philanthropist. Lester passed away recently 
at the age of 96, leaving behind a large and loving family, but his 
legacy will live on.
  Born in a hardscrabble Brooklyn neighborhood, and a veteran of World 
War II, Lester did not graduate from college. However, neither his lack 
of formal education nor the anti-Semitism he frequently faced could 
stop Lester from achieving his professional goals, because they were no 
match for his talent, tenacity and toughness. Lester's life was a 
quintessentially American story of success earned though hard, 
disciplined, joyful work.
  As one of Lester's grandsons said about his grandfather: ``He 
believed that, if you did things the right way, you would get the right 
result.'' This is the essence of character.
  Lester was a master builder, in both the literal and figurative 
sense. The homes, neighborhoods, and public parks he developed 
throughout central Florida over the course of many decades are his most 
visible legacy.
  Lester also built bonds of a more intangible nature. He donated 
generously to many causes he cared about, from scholarships for inner-
city children to support for the Jewish community he loved so much. 
Lester often donated anonymously and rarely spoke about his donations, 
even to his own family.
  As his grandson recounts, Lester was a serious man who did serious 
work, but he did not take himself too seriously. He had a sense of 
humor and light-heartedness that disarmed friend and stranger alike.
  Lester's greatest legacy, of course, is his family. He leaves behind 
his wife and partner for life, Sonia. They were married for 70 years. 
Sonia and Lester had four children, eight grandchildren, and five 
great-grandchildren.
  I know they miss Lester. But I hope their loss is eased by the 
knowledge that Lester was a great man and, even more importantly, a 
good man.

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