Staff Biographies

Dave Lessley is a Connecticut Yankee by birth. He has fond memories of his boyhood in the small town of North Branford. His dad was pastor of the local Congregational Church and served as a Chaplain in the U.S. Army during World War II, which means the family moved a lot—New Jersey, Nebraska, California, back to Connecticut, to Germany after the war, then back to California where Dave graduated from Paso Robles high school, then on to Occidental College in Los Angeles. Here it was he met and fell in love with Carolyn Buley, another PK (Preacher’s Kid). Her father was pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Burbank. Just before Dave and Carolyn were married on July 15, 1955, Dave became a church member at First Pres. But there was still the required military service and he was thinking of a career in hospital administration, so he enlisted in the Army Medical Corps, got the medical training, served a hitch in Korea, and based on that experience, decided not to go into hospital administration. Instead, following separation from the Army, he enrolled for graduate study in City Planning at the University of Southern California, finally receiving an MS in 1966. In the meantime, he began working for the Los Angeles City Planning Department. He stayed with them and finally retired after 36 years of service in 1995. Having been active in the church, he devoted much of his spare time in retirement to church service. Pastor Ross asked him to join the staff in a part-time position in 2001 and he has been serving in that capacity ever since. He enjoys the pastoral duties assigned to him, but the joke in the family is the recollection of a comment Carolyn made on one of their early dates that she never wanted to marry a minister!

Dave has served as a Deacon, a Trustee, and several terms as an Elder. He has been a facilitator for the men’s ministry, the Keenagers (older adults), and has always sought to be part of a men’s small group fellowship. He enjoys teaching adult classes, preaching on occasion and sings bass in the Chancel Choir. One special joy was serving as chair of the church’s 100th Anniversary celebration in 1987.

Dave and Carolyn have a son, Stephen, and a daughter, Karen who is married to Scott Ingersoll. They have produced four beautiful granddaughters for Carolyn and Dave—Kelsey, Katie, Kristin and Kara—but they live in Pennsylvania, so they only get some grandparenting two or three times a year.

Dave enjoys baseball and became a Brooklyn Dodger fan while growing up in Connecticut. A big thrill was being taken to Ebbets Field in 1946 to see, among others, Jackie Robinson in his first year in the major leagues. The move of the Dodgers to L.A. made it very natural to continue being their fan. When Dave left the City of L.A., the retirement luncheon was held in the Stadium Club at Dodger Stadium.

Dave is grateful for the opportunities to serve in the church because it was through the ministry of this congregation many years ago that he became a believing Christian rather than just a church goer.

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