Car dealer, 79, moved to Newport in 1955

Lester Elmore, a Balboa Island resident and automotive entrepreneur

who opened an Orange County Toyota dealership in 1966, died Thursday.

He was 79.

“He wasn’t afraid of a lot. He was self-made,” Lester Elmore’s

daughter Judy Elmore said.

Lester Elmore died of natural causes, and he recently had a

stroke, his daughter said. His family is planning a private memorial

service.

Born in Chico, Lester Elmore served in the Merchant Marine in the

Pacific theater during World War II and moved to Monrovia when the

war ended. Judy Elmore said the family moved to Newport Beach in

1955.

In the automobile business, Lester Elmore sold a variety of cars,

including Triumphs, Renaults and Fiats. In 1966, he opened Elmore

Toyota in Westminster, before Toyotas and other Japanese imports

became major forces in the automotive market.

“He didn’t know it at the time, but that was a real significant

thing to do. It was the right thing to do,” Judy Elmore said.

In December, Lester Elmore’s business expanded with the opening of

Elmore Hyundai in Costa Mesa.

David McHowell, general manager at Elmore Toyota, said Lester

Elmore’s death came as a shock to him. McHowell described Lester

Elmore as the most amazing person he has ever known.

In addition to Judy Elmore, Lester Elmore is survived by his

daughter Georgia Mangosing; seven grandchildren; and 11

great-grandchildren.

“All of the kids have worked at Elmore Toyota at one time or

another,” Judy Elmore said.