Lester Edwin Eklund

Lester (Les) Eklund, of Roseville CA, entered God’s kingdom on March 18, 2023. He was born December 28, 1930, to Victor and Amy Eklund in Forman, North Dakota. Les is survived by his beloved wife of seventy years, Elinor; his sons, James and Steven; daughters, Barbara (Osella) and Nancy (Edgar); Grandchildren Todd, Allison (Scoggin), Sarah (Swift), Thomas (Osella) and David (Edgar). Les has three great grandchildren; Owen and Nora (Swift) and Juliana (Scoggin).

Growing up on a farm in North Dakota, Les followed his passion for flying and enlisted in the Air Force in 1951 where he soon earned his wings and began to fly for the USAF. While in the service, he completed his bachelor’s degree, earned a second degree at Oklahoma State and a Master’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering all while working, flying and raising his growing family. He was stationed in many locations including Tennessee, Germany, New York, Oklahoma, Montana, Nebraska, South Korea, South Dakota, Texas and retiring from active duty as a full Colonel in 1979 while serving in Southern California. Upon leaving the Air Force, Les joined Aerojet Propulsion and relocated to Northern California. He retired in 1990 as the Systems Engineering Manager for all Aerojet missile programs.

Lester was a devout Christian and loved the Lord. He was committed to serving his country and deeply devoted to his family. He was an avid golfer and long-time member of Sierra View Country Club and Timber Creek @ Sun City. He loved to share his experiences and stories about places visited for work and fun, but most of all, he loved to talk about flying. Heaven has a new pilot and he will surely be missed until we are with him again.

Colonel Eklund will be laid to rest at the National Cemetery in Dixon, CA. A celebration of life is being planned for this spring. In lieu of flowers, a memorial in Lester’s name can be made for Parkinson’s Research through https://www.michaeljfox.org/tribute.