Lester Lang, age 77, of Woodstock, Illinois, and originally of Huron, South Dakota, died April 28, 2015, in Aurora, Illinois. Entombment was in the Restlawn Memory Gardens Mausoleum in Huron.
Lester Donald Lang was born August 12, 1937, to Walter and Erna (Garbe) Lang in Huron, South Dakota. Les grew up in Huron and the surrounding farming towns. He graduated from Huron High School in 1955. On January 25, 1956, Les married Darlene Weidauer, in Huron. Les then attended Huron College, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry in 1959.
After graduation, Les began a long and distinguished career in the pharmaceutical industry as a Sales Rep for Pittman Moore in 1959 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Les and Darlene then returned to Huron, South Dakota, where Les became a Sales Rep for Warner Chilcott in 1961. Les was promoted to District Manager in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1966, and to Regional Manager in Mendham, New Jersey, in 1971, then relocated to Poway, California, in 1973. They then relocated to Wethersfield, Connecticut in 1979 following the merger of Warner Chilcott into Parke Davis. They relocated to Barrington, Illinois, in 1983. They returned to Mendham, New Jersey in 1989, where Les was National Vice President of Pharmaceutical Sales. Les retired from Parke Davis (now Pfizer Inc.) in 1998, and Les and Darlene eventually moved to Woodstock, Illinois, in 2002.
Les enjoyed spending time with his family, pheasant hunting, and following the stock market.
He was preceded in death by his parents; one sister, Verna Wirtz; and two brothers, Dr. Durward Lang and Albert Lang.
Grateful for having shared in his life are his wife and best friend of 59 years, Darlene Lang of Woodstock, Illinois; four sons, Steven (Jennifer) Lang of Phoenix, Arizona, James Lang of Aurora, Illinois, Richard (Ann) Lang of South Glastonbury, Connecticut, and Scott (Sandra) Lang of Geneva, Illinois; brother and lifelong hunting partner, Dale (Mary Jo) Lang of Watertown, South Dakota; and beloved little sister, Carol (Richard) Demlo of Alamosa, Colorado. Les is also survived by ten grandchildren, Christina (Lang) Hartman, Jennifer (Lang) Sheehey, Kyle Lang, David Lang, Adam Lang, Jefferson Lang, John Lang, Hannah Lang, Rebecca Lang, and Alexander Lang; four great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.