J. Lester Goff

J. LESTER GOFF Graveside services for lifelong Mancos residents J. Lester Goff and his wife, Pauline will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 21 at Cedar Grove Cemetery. Lester was born in Mancos on March 29, 1922 the youngest son of James Wesley and Lillie Florence Goff. He passed away on Wednesday, April 15, 2009 at the Valley Inn Nursing Home at the age of 87. Lester attended and graduated from the Mancos school system. While in school he was very active in music and sports. In the seventh grade, Lester began playing in a small school dance band, this was the beginning of a long career playing in dance bands throughout the San Juan Basin. From the time he was in the fifth grade, Lester would work for anyone who would give him a job. In those days, working at different jobs he gained many different skills. This allowed Lester later in life to always have a good middle-class job. After graduation in May of 1942, Lester went to work for Bow Alexander, who at that time was county road boss. On October 14, 1942, Lester enlisted in the U.S. Navy, during WWII. He was discharged on January 14, 1946. Lester then went on to work for the Diamond Match Company in Mancos. In October of 1949, Lester attended his freshman year at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. School became boring for an old veteran so he went back in to the Navy as the Korean War started. On November 13, 1952, Lester married Pauline (Smouse) Foster. Two years later, Pauline was diagnosed with M.S. and the couple never had any children. Pauline passed away on December 31, 2006 after spending many years at the Valley Inn Nursing Home with Lester lovingly by her side every day. Lester spent a few years working for Masonry Contractors, the company built mostly schools, hospitals, and commercial buildings. After deciding there wasn't much of a future in that line of work, Lester quit. A few days later he took a job with the National Park Service at Mesa Verde. At that time, the Park Service decided to expand. In conjunction with the National Geographic Society, the excavation of more ruins began on what is now known as Wetherill Mesa. This project lasted about seven years. Lester then went into ruin stabilization and worked there for two or three years. Lester was proud of the fact that while he worked in the ruins he had his photo run in National Geographic, Volume 125, Number 2 in February of 1964. There became an opening in buildings and utilities at the park and Lester became an electrician. He retired from the Park Service in November of 1980. Lester was a lifelong member of the Mancos V.F.W. Post 5331. He swore that Mancos was the best place one could live. While growing up in Mancos, he said many times that there were boom times and there were bad times. What was always so great about his little town was that the people were always so friendly and willing to help one another when in need. It was Lester's wish to "will all of his good times on this earth to the younger folks who will carry on, making the world a better, non-violent place for people to live in." Lester is survived by his niece, Debbie Halls and husband, Coke of Mancos. He was preceded in death by his parents; by his beloved wife, Pauline; and by his siblings, Glen, Walter, Russell, Hazel, and Edith.