McLennan County Commissioner Lester L. Gibson passes away

BELLMEAD, Texas (KWTX) - Retired McLennan County Commissioner Lester L. Gibson has passed away the morning of June 17, according to his family.

Commissioner Gibson retired from McLennan County on December 31, 2018, after serving the citizens of McLennan County for 28 years and was the longest serving county commissioner in McLennan County’s history.

He was the third African American to serve on the McLennan County Commissioners Court.

Serving the constituents of Precinct 2, he was the first African American to be elected to the position.

Prior to his serving on the McLennan County Commissioners Court, he served for two years as the city council member from District 1 on the Waco City Council.

“As one of the founders of the Texas Organization of Black County Commissioners, his work and advocacy spanned state and national boundaries,” said Bellmead Mayor Taylor Gibson. “He will long be remembered for his work with the youth in our community, the expansion of economic development, and his voice for equity and inclusion.”

“He was a tireless advocate for the marginalized and the downtrodden and his voice of advocacy for fairness and inclusion will be deeply missed. Dedicated to the people of McLennan County, the impact of his decades of devoted public service is evident in the work he championed, in the young people he inspired, and so much more,” said McLennan County Commissioner Patricia Miller. “His legacy will live on not only through his family, but in all the charitable endeavors he shaped. I valued his mentoring and his support. I mourn his passing and honor his legacy.”

Gibson was a 1967 graduate of A.J. Moore High School and a 1974 graduate of Baylor University. He was a veteran of the Vietnam War, serving honorably in the United States Navy.

The father, grandfather, and great-grandfather leaves to cherish his memory a wife, Mrs. Coque Gibson, a daughter and three sons, and a host of other relatives and friends.

Service arrangements are pending.