Obituary of David John Lessels

Mr. David John Lessels, born on April 3, 1928 in Concord, New Hampshire, to the late Marjorie B. (Hammond) and Clarence Lessels, passed away at age 90 on March 6, 2019 in St. Petersburg, FL. David graduated from Bentley School of Accounting and Finance, and Suffolk University Law School. He served in the Army from 1951 to 1952. In the Boston area, David worked at Scovell, Wellington & Co. as a mutual fund manager. He took a position as an accountant at Lybrand, Ross Bros. & Montgomery and was a member of the team that took Digital Equipment public. After moving back to New Hampshire in 1973, David was named finance director for the New Hampshire Public Utility Commission. He stirred controversy by producing an independent report calling the demand forecasts for building Seabrook Nuclear Power Station overly optimistic. His report predicted financial problems for the Public Service Company of New Hampshire, which eventually filed for bankruptcy. His outspokenness made staying in New Hampshire difficult, so he moved to the Washington D.C. area to work as an economist for the Rural Electrification Administration from which he retired in 1990. Upon retirement, he moved to St Petersburg, Florida, for the warm beaches and pleasant weather, making that area his home until his death. David was married to and divorced from Barbara Lee Ripley, Anne C. Flemming (deceased), Sandie Lee Tisdale Seibert and Meribeth M. Simpson (deceased). He was preceded in death by his brother, Norval D. Lessels, and sisters, Marjorie L. Lessels and Margaret L. Guilmette. David is survived by his sons Jeffrey M. Lessels, Bruce D. Lessels and Peter J. Lessels, daughter Sarah L. Hsieh and their spouses; brother Robert B. Lessels; sister-in-law Jane Lessels (Norval); six grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. Friends and family members are welcome to attend the memorial service on Friday, May 3, at 3:00 p.m. The service will be held at South Church, 27 Pleasant St., Concord NH, www.southchurchconcord.org/. His remains will be interred at Maple Street Cemetery, Adams, MA, on April 20 at 11:00 a.m. Please see the obituary at DavidCGross.com for more details. The David C. Gross Funeral Home (FL) and Paciorek Funeral Home (MA) are handling arrangements. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating, in David's honor, to Florida’s Democratic Party, or the Gulfport Senior Center, 5501 17th Ave. S, Gulfport, FL 33707.