Leslie Deloyd Thurston, Sr.

Leslie (Les) DeLoyd Thurston Sr. was born in Kilgore TX on February 25, 1938. He passed peacefully at home surrounded by his family on Friday, March 29, 2024. Les Sr. was born on the Watson Lease in Kilgore, TX and was the youngest of ten children born to Cyrus T. Thurston and Pearl Nichols Thurston.

Les attended Kilgore and Leverett’s Chapel schools. He served in the National Guard before joining the US Navy where he served from 1956-1959, after being honorably discharged. He married Janice Murphy on October 16, 1959, and together they raised two sons: Leslie Thurston Jr. and Micah Thurston Sr. As a young man, Les Sr. became a Christian and was called into ministry. He attended Kilgore College and Mid-America Christian University, graduating in 1972 with a Bachelor of Arts & Theology. He served over the years as minister to many churches in Texas including, First Church of God in Sugarland and Tyler and as interim pastor of First Church of God in Longview and Kilgore. He was also employed as Supervisor of East Texas Motor Freight from 1972 until his retirement in 2000.

In passing, Les is reunited with his parents and siblings.

Les Sr. leaves a wonderful legacy of loving and serving God, loving and enjoying his family, and living life with a great sense of humor. He will be greatly missed by his wife of 64 years, Jan Thurston, their sons & daughters-in-law; Leslie Jr. and Kathy Thurston, Micah Sr. and Tina Thurston, five grandchildren and their spouses; Bryan and Becci Thurston, Brent and Lisa Thurston, Chandra Moore, Micah Jr. and Jerrica Thurston, Matt and Mary Thurston. He was also loved tremendously by his 13 great-grandchildren Les, Robbie, Sam, Lindley, Lainey, Brooklynn, Preston, Abby, Oliver, Micah III, Emory, Eli and Callie. Your family is forever grateful to have been led and loved by you Papaw.

A private Celebration of Life & Home Going for Les has taken place. He has been laid to rest at Lakeview Memorial Gardens in Longview, Texas.