Even 14 years after he left, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church on Carey Street still boasts improvements that were made under the leadership of the Rev. Lester E. Durst.
The parish hall is still named Bender Hall. The remodeling of the church’s Hargrave House was Mr. Durst’s doing, as well as the purchase of a youth house for the church’s younger members to have their own area. He was responsible for introducing the Family Fall Festival, an ongoing annual tradition, and introducing Wednesday night suppers.
But it was Mr. Durst’s welcoming personality and compassion for his congregation that left the biggest impression. After his term as rector ended, he was still brought back to the church frequently to preside over weddings, funerals and baptisms.
“He had a lot of talent as a priest,” his daughter, Lauren Durst, said. “He was a very authentic person. He made it feel like a place where humans could go to worship, and not just perfect Christians.”
Mr. Durst, 65, died June 22, 2016.
His work at St. Peter’s from 1995 to 2002 made as much of a difference in the Plant City community as it did in his church’s parish halls.
Coming to Faith
Most recently, Mr. Durst celebrated his 25th anniversary with the priesthood on Jan. 18. A Valrico resident, the milestone was commemorated by leading the service at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, in Tampa, where he served as a volunteer priest.
Being a pastor was Mr. Durst’s second career. After studying history at Stetson University and meeting his wife, Carolyn, he felt a call to the ministry close to graduation.
Still, he had other passions. After he and Carolyn were married, Mr. Durst enrolled in law school at the University of Florida. In the 1970s and 1980s, he practiced law in the Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte area.
Lauren Durst, who gave the eulogy at her father’s funeral, cited his remarkable career as a lawyer:
He argued for a living … and sometimes for free. His courtroom words made his opponents shake in their shoes and his clients smirk with glee.
After a long and successful career as a lawyer, he felt the call toward the ministry once again.
“It was a hard decision because he was so good at being a lawyer,” Lauren Durst said.
This time, he went by his faith. In 1986, the entire family — including his two children, Michael and Lauren — moved to Alexandria, Virginia, where Mr. Durst enrolled at Virginia Theological Seminary. He graduated from seminary in 1990. The family then came back to Florida, where Mr. Durst was ordained a deacon at the Church of the Redeemer in Sarasota.
The family stayed in Sarasota through 1993, before moving to St. John’s Episcopal Church, in Tampa.
“He was an assistant priest there,” Carolyn Durst said. “Then when he became the rector at St. Peter’s, he was the only priest.”
Mr. Durst was at St. Peter’s in Plant City for seven years, followed by another seven years at St. Christopher’s Episcopal in Pensacola.
While serving in Plant City, Mr. Durst served in the Daybreak Rotary Club and led prayers at many Plant City events.
“He lived a life of grace. He did not make it difficult for others. He set a good example, and he was always a gentleman.” — Lauren Durst, the Rev. Lester Durst’s daughter
He also started a dialogue with other Episcopal churches in the area to build up the community. During his time at St. Peter’s, he was the first Episcopalian priest to lead Plant City High School’s baccalaureate during the 2001 ceremony.
He left a lasting impression. It wasn’t unusual for his children, who both graduated from Plant City High School, to have friends that later called Mr. Durst to preside over their weddings or other milestones.
“He was always touched when they remembered him,” Lauren Durst said.
To his family, he led not only in faith but by example. Mr. Durst was a voracious reader, an avid learner and a frequent library visitor.
“He would gobble up several (books) in a week,” Lauren Durst said. “He loved spy novels and mysteries. He kept a typed list of all the books he’d read, and he would take it to the library so he wouldn’t re-read them.”
A Man of Integrity
As a priest, Mr. Durst was always open with his congregation. He congratulated them on their accomplishments, led them through prayer and reminded them that God would take care of them — and that God would take care of him too.
He was honest about his struggles with prostate cancer but remained unwavering in his faith. He later lived with Parkinson’s disease for many years.
“He was diagnosed in 2000,” Lauren Durst said. “He lived a life of grace. He did not make it difficult for others. He set a good example, and he was always a gentleman.”
Even during hardships, he still found joy in the little things in life: especially chocolate milkshakes. He shared a love of them with his granddaughter, Margaret. His family said that the slurping sound he made when he reached the bottom of a shake was fondly referred to as a “granddaddy noise.”
“He was proudest of being a grandfather,” Lauren Durst said. “Anytime anyone asked about Margaret he would light up.”
He was equally as close with the rest of his family. He passed on his love of sciences to his son, a physics professor. He passed on his love of faith and theology to his daughter.
“I majored in theology,” Lauren Durst said. “He and I shared that love together, and that was very special.”
Mr. Durst is survived by his wife of 43 years Carolyn; daughter, Lauren; son, Michael (Alison); granddaughter, Margaret; and sisters, Mildred Dana (Noel) and Amanda Durst.
A memorial service was held June 30, at the Church of the Redeemer in Sarasota. Memorial contributions may be made in his honor to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, Donation Processing, The Michael J. Fox Foundation, P.O. Box 5014, Hagerstown, Maryland 21741-5014.
Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver.com.