Bob Lester, Designer for Creative Bath, Dies
By Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 9/17/2007
New York — Noted home textiles designer Bob Lester died on August 20. Lester, 79, succumbed to ALS, known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
Before becoming a designer in the home textiles world, Lester was a talented muralist. He joined Ames, a former bath home textiles manufacturer, and later moved to the former C.S. Brooks.
He joined Creative Bath in 1989 and was creative director there for 11 years, retiring in 2000. That year, he was named Designer of the Year by the Home Fashion Products Association.
Lester then retired to his winter home in Granada and spent his summers in New York and Europe.
Said Mat Meinzinger, ceo of Creative Bath, "At Creative Bath we were all deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Bob Lester. Bob will always be remembered as a first class gentleman, a fine employee and a fantastic designer.
"From 1989 to 2000, Bob was Creative's design director and consistently was honored for his design accomplishments. His most notable, and now famous, design was the Belvedere bath collection which he developed in 1991 and is still selling today," Meinzinger said.
Nick Colwill, a designer based in the United Kingdom, commented, "Bob became a mentor to me when I first started out nearly 30 years ago and remained a good friend over the years. He was a true gentleman, always modest and with impeccable taste. He will be very much missed by his many friends in New York and Europe."
Lester is survived by a sister.
