Lester was born on January 17, 1937 in Troy, son of the late Lester and Lillian (Schoonover) Watkins, Sr. He was a 1954 Troy High School graduate where he was a four sport varsity letterman.
Lester was a US Army veteran where he played football for the army in Germany. He also played semi-professional football for the Troy Chiefs, and his favorite professional team was the Pittsburgh Steelers.
He retired from Lecher’s Hardware as a manager and was Baptist by faith.
Lester was a member of the Troy Post #49 of the American Legion and enjoyed hunting, fishing, shuffleboard, bowling, and golf.