BOONE, Iowa—Lester O. Boucher, age 92 of Boone, passed away on Wednesday, March 24, 2021 at his home.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Lester Ovelia Boucher was born on March 21, 1929 in Bismarck, ND, the son of Joseph and Amanda Marie (Cote) Boucher. He graduated from high school in Sioux City in the class of 1947.
Later that year, Les was united in marriage with Patricia Lucille Cownie on November 6, 1947 in Sioux City, IA. From this union were five children: Mike, Deb, Tod, Kelly and Jeff.
Les started working in the masonry field right out of high school. If there was no local work to be found, especially in the cold winter months, he would pack up his family (Patricia, Mike and Deb) and travel to St. Louis, Las Vegas, and anywhere in between. Later settling back in Sioux City in 1964, he and Pat founded Boucher Masonry Contracting (BMC), a commercial masonry company. When he became involved with the building of Iowa State Veterinary Medicine in Ames, IA, Les was convinced that a more centralized location would lead to better business opportunities. He would then move the family and business to Boone, IA. Les continued to be involved in the family business until retiring in 2013.
During his masonry career, Les was not afraid to try new masonry methods. This included building masonry panels in a warehouse and shipping them to a high-rise in Minneapolis for installation. He was always the problem solver when it came to complicated tasks while constructing buildings. And while he may have been the CEO of Boucher Masonry, he was never afraid to get his hands dirty. He was a handyman in all things building related, including designing and building his own home in Sioux City, on nights and weekends.
Les and Pat still found time to be social, from square dancing around Iowa and Nebraska, to cruising the European continent for a month, to Friday nights out with good friends and family in Boone.
Les was a lifetime member of the Bricklayers Union and an avid Iowa State College supporter.
After retiring, Les enjoyed wintering in Donna, Texas and later in Cape Coral, Florida. After Patricia’s passing in 2015, their dog Riley became his constant companion, from traveling across town to visiting in Florida and Texas.
Les had two goals in life and was able to accomplish both: build his own custom home and start a business. These were only two goals out of Lester’s long list of accomplishments.
Les was preceded in death by his parents; his wife of 68 years, Pat, who passed away on June 12, 2015; and his siblings, Morris, Isabelle “Izzy”, Ernestine “Ernie”, Geraldine “Jerry”, Daryl, and Lloyd.
Les is survived by his children, Michael and his wife Aloya of Des Moines, Debra Jean and her husband Gary Paczosa of Austin, TX, Tod and his wife, Carol of Lake City, FL, Kelly and his wife Lisa of Ogden, and Jeffrey of Boone; 11 grandchildren; 12 great grandchildren, along with 1 on the way; and his close four legged buddy, Riley.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Schroeder-Reimers Memorial Chapel at Sixth and Marshall Streets in Boone. Online condolences may be left to Les’ family at www.schroedermemorilalchapel.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be directed to the Les Boucher Family, C/O Schroeder-Reimers Memorial Chapel, P.O. Box 15, Boone, IA, 50036.
Les Boucher, 92, Boone, Iowa
