Lester Palaniuk

Lester Palaniuk, 85, passed peacefully on June 21, 2026, surrounded by family in Stanwood, Washington. Lester was born on April 13, 1941, to Nick and Polly Palahniuk in Elmira, Idaho, as the youngest of 18 children. In 1959, he married Barbara Dallman and together they had their son, Lester Palaniuk Jr. They moved to Mountlake Terrace, Washington, where he started working at Double DD Meats as a clean-up kid. Lester later began additionally working for Florence Pack in Stanwood where he met and was remarried to his second wife, Bonnie Stensaa, in 1965. Together they had children Kurt, Kim, Kevin, and Kelsey. For the next five decades, he took over Double DD Meats and worked alongside most of his kids and his wife Bonnie, who stocked shelves on the weekends. On his time off from the family business, he enjoyed fishing, camping, and mowing his lawn. He was known for his quick wit, his ability to carry a quarter of beef over his shoulder like it was nothing, and his unwavering devotion to his family. He is survived by his 5 children, 13 grandchildren, and 4 great grandchildren. Celebration of life will be held on Sunday, August 9th at 2:00pm at the Nygard residence: 2932 216th St NW Stanwood, WA 98292.