The Rev'd Lester J. Wilcox departed this life April 5, 2013 in Las Cruces, New Mexico. A celebration of his life and Holy Eucharist will be held at St. John's Episcopal Church, 1114 Indiana Avenue in Alamogordo on Saturday, April 13th at 2:00 p.m.

He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Morgan Wilcox of Alamogordo, his daughter and son-in-law, Rebecca and Mark Bradley of Germany, his brother and sister-in-law, Richard and Sandy Wilcox of Ohio.


He was preceded in death by his parents, Lester and Agnes Wilcox, his stepmother, Josephine Wilcox, and his son Roger Wilcox.


Rev'd Wilcox was born on January 11, 1926 near Carey, Ohio. He attended college at Marion College, now Indiana Wesleyan University, from which he graduated in 1948 and attended seminary at Evangelical Theological Seminary in Naperville, Illinois, and later Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky from which he graduated in 1951. He later served as pastor at the Wesleyan Church in Sheridan, Indiana and was ordained in 1953. He received clinical pastoral training from the University of Michigan and, upon completion of that training, served as a pastoral counselor. He served as a chaplain for a program for the mentally handicapped and as an outpatient drug and alcoholism counselor in New York State. He transferred his ordination to the Disciples of Christ. After his marriage to Morgan, he became an Episcopalian. After his retirement from New York State, having served 27 years as the Protestant Chaplain at Craig Developmental Center in Sonyea, NY, he and Morgan moved to Alamogordo. He was active as a lay Eucharistic minister, a lay reader, and a Eucharistic visitor at St. John's in Alamogordo, as well as a member of the University Singers, a member of the ham radio club, and the Senior Citizens Center. He was a long time Rotarian and served as district governor previously in New York State.


In lieu of flowers donations may be made to St. John's Episcopal Church or to Alamogordo Rotary Foundation Scholarship Fund in Memory of Lester J. Wilcox, PO Box 713, Alamogordo, NM 88310.

The Wilcox family has entrusted their loved to the care of PCS Direct Cremation Services. To sign the online register book, please visit www.cremation-pcs.com.