Lesa Ellen Hester

Lesa Ellen (nee Bruning) Hester of Hessel, was a locally renowned cook whose talents enhanced meals at the Les Cheneaux Club, Les Cheneaux Yacht Club, and the tables of friends and family for more than 40 years. An environmentalist, who was also greatly interested in social change and international culture, she died unexpectedly Sunday, September 20, 2015, from complications caused by unsuspected cancer. Lesa was born January 5, 1961, in Sault Ste. Marie, to Rita and Ronald Bruning. She attended Les Cheneaux Community Schools in Cedarville where she was accepted to the National Honor Society, and was graduated from Cedarville High School in 1979. She went on to major in anthropology at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, where she befriended many of the international students and brought them to Les Cheneaux. Lesa adopted the role of caregiver early on, a trait she became known for as she cared for her grandparents, friends and family. She was always someone to be counted on— an eager and willing babysitter, dog walker, and adopted parent and daughter to many. Lesa found peace in the woods and on the water around the Les Cheneaux area. She loved hiking, and harvesting berries and other edible wild plants from the woods. She cooked seasonally and sustainably decades before it became a trend. Lesa loved the arts, and was an avid reader and visual artist who excelled in pastel drawings. She had a beautiful singing voice, and loved music and dancing, especially the music of other countries and cultures. She was known by friends as “a rascal,” and was always up for adventure and new experiences that expanded her world view or amused her. Lesa was well known for throwing “The Look,” her sharp intellect, and a deep appreciation for sarcastic wit, which she rewarded with a smirk or eruptive laughter. Throughout her life, Lesa “worked tirelessly, albeit sarcastically,” a friend observed, while bringing a relaxed sense of pride and professionalism to her catering jobs, event management, and cleaning. She traveled to Canada, China, Turkey, Spain, and Morocco, but was always hungry for more world travel. In college, she worked at places that elevated her love of the culinary arts: Ashley’s Restaurant and a Jewish delicatessen and Italian eatery, Rabbi Guido’s, both in Ann Arbor, as well as Weird Beard's Pizza near Grand Rapids. Other employment included cleaning and care-taking, plus various bookkeeping and administrative jobs around the Les Cheneaux area. Her organizational memberships reflected her interest in giving back to her community and helping wherever she could, including service on the Les Cheneaux Watershed Council, Clark Township Ambulance Corps, Les Cheneaux Band Boosters, Snowsfest Committee, and more. She helped launch a recycling program several decades ago. She dreamed of working for the Peace Corps. Lesa is survived by her husband, Michael C. Hester; sons, David J. Malkowski and Dennis K. Malkowski of Cedarville; siblings and their spouses, Denise “Kim” Horn of Rogers City, Jeffery A. Bruning and Rick Omlor of Marquette, Pamela K. and Tim Swope of Albion, Gretchen L. and George Chapel of Grosse Pointe Woods, and Richard D. Bruning and Amy Polk of Cedarville; her mother-in-law, Jodi Tassier of Cedarville; father and mother-in-law, Wilson “Ray” and Lisa Thomason Hester of North Carolina; brother-in-law and his wife, Wilson “Scout” and Davine Hester Jr. of Cedarville; sister-in-law, Melinda “Mindi” Chisholm of Cedarville; several nieces and nephews, and her best friend of more than 30 years, Cherie Rye of Pickford. She was preceded in death by her parents, Ronald and Rita Bruning. Memorial donations may be directed to the Lesa Ellen Bruning Hester Memorial Scholarship Fund at the Les Cheneaux Culinary School, P.O. Box 26, Hessel, MI 49745, or to the Les Cheneaux Ambulance Auxiliary, P.O. Box 453, Hessel, MI 49745. The celebration of Lesa’s life will be Saturday, October 3, at Snow’s Bar and Grill in Cedarville, at 1 pm. Interment will be at Cedar Cemetery of Cedarville. Before she passed on, Lesa accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. R. Galer Funeral Home of Pickford, is serving the family. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.rgalerfuneralhome.com.

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Lesa Ellen Hester

January 5, 1961 - September 20, 2015