1947 - 2022
Lester “Les” G. Gruner, of Seattle, Washington, died March 9 at the age of 74 after a brief illness. We celebrate the life of Les Gruner with gratitude for the light and joy he brought to so many of us.
Les was born July 22, 1947 in St. Louis, Missouri and grew up in the suburb of Webster Groves. He earned a bachelor of arts from Webster University before doing graduate work at Purdue University. Seeking to escape the Midwest after college, he moved to New York City. There Les worked as a house manager for many Broadway and off-Broadway shows.
After driving cross country with three friends in 1982, Les settled into a house on Capitol Hill in Seattle where his sense of humor and sharp wit won him numerous friends. He quickly learned to love the Northwest; hiking, camping and even testing his outdoor skills whitewater rafting on the Methow River.
In Seattle, Les launched a new career in marketing, working for GNA Financial Services, GE Capital and Washington Mutual over a period of 20 years before moving into software training and implementation in the healthcare field. Les worked the last 11 years of his career for UW Medicine serving as a clinical informatics educator, EPIC project manager, and supervisor of curriculum design before retiring in 2021. During this time, he also volunteered with the Pride Foundation as part of a team that screens and selects scholarship applicants.
Above all, Les was an entertainer – whether working in theater, teaching an IT class, hosting a party in his backyard, or spinning tales around a campfire. Les also loved to spend time with his pets – always two cats and one Great Dane.
Les met the love of his life, Mike Welter, in 1989 but lost him to the AIDS epidemic. His friends recall the love he and Mike shared, and memories of their happy times together relaxing at home or hiking on Mt. Rainier. He is survived by a close circle of friends including Andy Warren, Robert Lux, Ian Anderson and Kenny Locke, many other friends and colleagues now spread across the country, and extended family in St. Louis.
Donations in memory of Les Gruner can be made to The Pride Foundation, YouthCare or the Northwest Great Dane Rescue. We encourage you to share your memories or sign the guest book at https://funerals.coop/obituaries/ or https://my.gather.app/remember/lester-gruner