Dignity Memorial
Lester Noyes
March 15, 2023
Lester Noyes, 91, led Portland moving company, was antique car buff
Lester William "Les" Noyes, 91, who had served as president of Earle W. Noyes & Sons Moving Specialists, died March 2.
Noyes joined the business started by his father, Earle W. Noyes Sr., in 1951, working as a van operator and warehouse manager. He bought the company from his father in 1970 and "grew it into one of the most respected moving and storage businesses in the Northeast," according to his obituary. Noyes became president in 1987.
The business started out in 1923 as an after-hours delivery service handling steamer trunks from Union Station in Portland with a borrowed truck. The company is celebrating its 100th anniversary.
Noyes, who served in the U.S. Coast Guard, belonged to a number of business and civic organizations. He was president of the Falmouth Lions Club and a director of the national Board of United Van Lines.
The Portland native was a trustee of Owl’s Head Transportation Museum for 31 years and one of the founding members of Skillins’ Raiders car club. He looked forward to Sunday antique car tours with his friends and his beloved co-pilot, wife Tina, in his 1911 Model T.
After graduating from Portland High School in 1949, he attended Portland Junior College, now the University of Southern Maine. The family company was where he spent most of his time during his school-age years.
Noyes loved outdoor pursuits and making and repairing "virtually anything" in his workshop, his family said.
“He spent many hours creating children’s and home furnishings for his family, so productive that they created a picture book of his accomplishments,” his obituary said.
In addition to his wife of 61 years, he is survived by a son, Peter, and his daughter Karen Reiche.
The family plans to hold a private celebration of life. His complete obituary can be found here.
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