Dudley Martin Lester of Kosciusko passed away Thursday afternoon June 8, 2023 at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Jackson.
Visitation was 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, June 10, at Jordan Funeral Home in Kosciusko. A second visitation was Sunday, June 11, at noon with funeral services at 2 p. m. from the Jordan Funeral Home Chapel with interment in Tabernacle Cemetery. Rev. Glenn Jackson and Rev. Matt Steed led the services.
He was born in Clarksdale on October 27, 1943, to the late Charles and Edna Lester. He is survived by his wife Frances Rone Lester of Kosciusko; son Heath Martin Lester of Clarksdale; granddaughter Haley Lester (Matthew) Griffin; great-granddaughter Alice Jade Griffin of Inverness; brother Dale (Elaine) Lester of Ark.; and a sister Frieda Williamson of Tenn.
He was a member of Oakhurst Baptist Church in Clarksdale.
Dudley spent 20 years as a fire fighter retiring as a captain with the Clarksdale Fire Department. He immediately went into law enforcement agencies in Coahoma, Tunica and Tallahatchie counties, retiring from Desoto County Sheriff’s Office. After that he worked a stent with Mississippi Department of Wildlife and Fisheries at Turcotte. He graduated from the Mississippi Law Enforcement Academy in the Top 10 of his class. He did further training in DUI field sobriety and with the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. He also served in the Mississippi National Guard.
Dudley was an avid outdoorsman hunting all kind of local game as well as enjoying his hunting trips to Argentina, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas and Missouri. The last few years he focused only on wing shooting of crows and he was known locally as the crow man.
He was fortunate enough to be friends with six-time Olympic Gold Medalist John Satterwhite. They taught shotgun lessons together for several years. Dudley was a skeet and competition shooter, winning many accolades for his marksmanship.
For online condolences, visit www.jordanfuneralhome.com.
