John Anthony Lester

March 3, 1936 - January 2, 2022

John was born on March 3, 1936, in Los Angeles to John Sydney Lester and Consuelo Frances Castillo, he passed away peacefully in Los Gatos, California.  He was 85.

Early on, he was close with his maternal grandparents while his mother worked as au pair, caring for Buster Keaton’s 2 boys.  John attended St. John’s Military Academy from age 4 through 9th grade, graduating in 1950.  Then attended Los Angeles’ Notre Dame High School until 1953.  And, in 1958, graduated Bachelor of Science from The University of Santa Clara.  In 1960 married Carrol Beatty Berlin and they had 3 children.  Because of his grandson Hunter, he was well known by the nickname “Johnny Boy” for the better part of 4 decades. 

John’s professional desire was to pursue a career in broadcasting.  He began his career attending the Chris Borden School of Radio in San Francisco.  Working various radio stations (KEEN, KFAX, KREP), he arrived at San Jose’s Top 40 KLIV, in mid 1967.  From there he catapulted to all-news KGO 810, in San Francisco, and, in short order, went to the television side as a news reporter.  In 1974, he significantly covered the Patricia Heart kidnapping, becoming the Hearst Family Spokesman by April of that year.  Thereafter, joining KPIX-TV as a reporter in the South Bay bureau, so well as human interest stories from the roaming Car 5.  By the early 80’s, John transitioned to running his own advertising agency in San Jose, creating television, radio, and print ads.

He self-published a book recounting the Patty Hearst Kidnapping entitled “Girl in a Box.”  And, at the time of his demise had just finished a book about the solving of the Zodiac Killer case.  John was a member of Screen Actors Guild since 1958 and his presence is notably captured, appropriately as a television news reporter, in the Clint Eastwood film, Magnum Force.

John is survived by his 3 children, Christian, Maria, and Sean; grandson Hunter; 2 great-grandchildren Cypress and Odeya; and brother Victor Malatesta of Pleasanton, California.

Because of the pandemic a service will be announced at a future date.