Sylvia JoRea Campbell Lester

Sylvia JoRea Campbell Lester, 99, of Gainesville, GA passed away peacefully on Wednesday, December 27, 2023, surrounded by her family. Born in Asheville, North Carolina on December 13, 1924, she was the second child and first daughter of George Whitfield Campbell and Vista McFall Campbell. 

Known as JoRea in her early years, she grew up surrounded by a loving extended family of grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends in the beautiful North Carolina mountains where she spent a happy childhood. In 1936, her family moved to Sumter, South Carolina, where she easily made friends and adjusted well to her new life in her teenage years. She enjoyed church and outdoor activities such as box suppers, baseball games, swimming in the nearby creeks and streams, and helping her mother with her four younger siblings. Always an avid reader, she excelled in school and graduated from Edmunds High School in 1942. Following graduation, JoRea attended the Perry Business School, and after the completion of her secretarial courses, she was employed by the Western Union Telegraph Company and sent to Beaufort, South Carolina to help support the war effort on the Parris Island Marine Corps Recruiting Depot. JoRea enjoyed her job and her life in Beaufort, living in an apartment on the waterfront and volunteering for the USO. In 1946, she was transferred to Gainesville, Georgia, and it was there that she met her future husband, Joe Preston Lester, who preferred to call her by her first name of Sylvia. Joe and Sylvia were united in marriage on April 14, 1947, and started their lives as a married couple in Gainesville where they set up a warm and welcoming home, completing their family after the arrival of four children.

Sylvia became a full-time mother after the birth of her second child but helped her husband with his new business working from home as the bookkeeper. Through the years, she became involved in their children’s many school and church activities, hosting birthday and swimming parties at their home on Lake Lanier, serving as a Cub Scout Leader, being named Den Mother-of-the Year in 1960, and she was a recipient of the Helen White Award for Volunteer of the Year at the Northeast Georgia Medical Center. Her civic volunteer work also included serving as the Riverbend Voting Precinct Manager for many years. Always a faithful believer, she was a Primary Sunday School teacher and President of the Church Guild at St Paul United Methodist Church. She was a member of Lakewood Baptist Church at her death.

Sylvia was a wonderful cook and homemaker and loved having relatives and friends visit, but she also stayed close to her parents and siblings living in other areas and visited them often. Always ready for a “road trip,” she loved navigating from the passenger seat while Joe or one of her children was driving. Her nieces and nephews were always welcome to her home for extended visits and while they were in Gainesville, "Aunt JoRea" was just as much a mother to them as she was to her own children.

As her children married and began having children of their own, Sylvia’s role expanded, and she became known as “Mama Jo” and Joe was called “Daddy Joe” by their grandchildren. They both delighted in their grandchildren’s accomplishments and encouraged them to work hard and become the best they could be. Whether it be through cooking lessons with her grandchildren while sharing a favorite recipe, shopping trips or going to a movie, long talks about life and faith and family history, traveling to visit family or just to have fun, her unconditional love for them is Mama Jo’s legacy and can be found in the character and achievements of her children and grandchildren, and their children.  

After the death of her husband, Mama Jo’s strength and resilience helped her to excel in her role as the Matriarch of her family. Her door was always open to her children and grandchildren and no permission was needed to check out what might be good to eat in the refrigerator or to fix a glass of sweet tea. Her phone was often ringing from calls to and from her children, sisters, friends, or relatives, and she was a prolific correspondent eager to share news and items of interest she found in the newspaper or a magazine or sending a sweet note in a birthday or Christmas card. As her family grew, her ability to love expanded with it. She was blessed to be called “Mamo Jo” by eight grandchildren, sixteen great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.

Sylvia JoRea Campbell Lester will always be remembered for her great love of family, loyalty, thoughtfulness, generosity, and steadfastness, but her affection for others extended beyond her family and she was also called “Mama Jo” by countless numbers of friends of her children and grandchildren, and a role model to all. 

Sylvia is survived by her children, Preston Lester (Lynn), Steve Lester, (Lajuania), Anne Cochran (Gary), and daughter-in-law Vicki Lester; grandchildren, Joe Lester, III, Suzanne Drasutis Biglari, Brian Lester, Joanna Pethel, Stephen Lester, Natalie Wilson, Bethany Morris, and Bradley Cochran. Sixteen great-grandchildren, three great-great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews who loved her dearly.

Sylvia was predeceased by her parents, her husband, her son Wayne Lester, daughter-in-law Carole Ann Lester, and siblings, George Campbell, Jr., Lucy Eberhardt, Oliver Campbell, Anna Lee Cates, and Lora Etta Cockerill.

A celebration of life service will be held Saturday January 27, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. at Lakewood Baptist Church. The family will receive friends at the church from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. on Saturday January 27, 2024.

Those wishing to send online condolences to the family may do so at littledavenport.com

Little & Davenport Funeral Home and Crematory, 355 Dawsonville Highway, SW, Gainesville, Georgia 30501 is in charge of arrangements.