Kevin Letson

Kevin Ross Letson was born June 15, 1962, in Lynwood, California, to Wanda (Davis) and Lewis Letson. He graduated from Georgetown Preparatory School in Bethesda, Maryland, followed by Moorpark College, before realizing his passion for fraud investigation. He spent a brief time working at Ralph’s Grocery in their loss prevention unit, before moving over to Farmers Insurance working in SIU investigating insurance fraud. He passed away surrounded by loved ones on June 30, 2023, at the age of 61.

Kevin always had a way of making everyone smile, whether he was on the ball field, or on the golf course. As a coach, he knew how to make everyone laugh and could recall almost every game he coached. He had a passion for sports and competition, and instilled that into his children, being a huge part of their athletic careers in baseball, softball, soccer, and even a year of football. In addition to his own kids, Kevin coached at multiple high schools, well after his kids were no longer playing, and even coached the Simi Valley High School’s JV Softball team to a league championship. He also loved golf, whether he was playing, working security at Riviera, or simply being the “beer cart girl” at charity events or the annual family Long Beach WA tournament. Perhaps Kevin’s favorite day of the week was Sunday, because it meant an exciting end to whatever golf tournament was on TV that week, and he would get to watch it all from his infamous recliner.

Papa Kev, as he was known by many, was also very proud of his country and was a staunch supporter of those that protect and serve - whether those in the service, our brothers and sisters in blue, or nurses and doctors. It was not uncommon for Kevin to send meals to the Emergency Room staff at Los Robles Hospital or for him to donate to various causes such as the Wounded Warrior Project and St. Jude’s Children Hospital. In fact, his last gift to his grandson was a St. Jude’s stuffed Teddy Bear, from having donated earlier this year. Kevin had an enormous heart and wanted to give all that he had to those less fortunate, and many times, that included some of Tyler or Ashley’s friends, who just happened to show up for dinner, when they knew Kevin would be cooking up something tasty.

He worked for Farmers Insurance for over 28 years as a Special Investigator, and is revered as a passionate co-worker, and helpful to anyone who needed it. He was extremely good at what he did and worked on countless cases in his tenure with Farmers. Kevin was always in his recliner, typing away tirelessly, or on the phone, getting to the bottom of whatever investigation he was working on at the time. He worked in Majors, Auto Fraud investigation, and nearer to the end of his life, burglary and arson fraud investigation. Although in a roundabout way, Kevin’s determination and dedication to his job ties back to willingness to help others, as he was trying to stop bad people from doing bad things, as well as help those who have been wronged by the suspects he was investigating.

Kevin was extremely proud of his children and their accomplishments. He would always tell stories of their latest accomplishments to anyone that would listen. Whether it was the latest sports injury Ashley had taken care of as an Athletic Trainer, or Tyler’s sales at PXG. He also constantly reminded his soon to be Daughter-In-Law, Daniela, how proud of her he was, mainly for putting up with his son and his antics. He would always have lively conversations with his Son-In-Law Thomas, about anything and everything under the sun, from politics, to sports, to what was for dinner that evening. He was extremely proud of the beautiful little family they had built in Idaho. Certainly not to be forgotten was his grandson, Maverick. He would talk on and on about how crazy young Maverick is, but also how intelligent he is, and how excited he was to watch him grow. Kevin was a family man through and through and was constantly checking in on everyone he loved. He always made sure everyone had what they needed, even if it was the shirt off his back.  He was never happier than during Saturday dinners with the Hogue’s or the family tradition of Sunday dinners.  He always spent time asking everyone what was new and how things were going. You could tell the type of man Kevin was by his answer to one very simple question: “How are you?” His answer was never about himself when asked, it was always about one of his family members and their latest achievement, or what they had going on in their life. Kevin’s legacy will live on through his very beloved family, and they will continue to live by the values of family, charity, and love, he so adamantly instilled in them.

Kevin was truly a one-of-a-kind. There are no words to explain how much love and compassion he had in his heart for his family and those around him. He was a family man, a patriot, a coach, a father, husband, and friend, and he will continue to live on through those he impacted in his life. Although our hearts are extremely heavy and mourn for Kevin’s life ending abruptly, he would not have wanted his loved ones to be sad. Instead, he would have wanted us to celebrate his life, and continue to live out our lives in his memory, spreading laughter and love the way he did. Kevin Ross Letson has gone to heaven, with his mother, father, and brother, and is looking down on us with his kind smile like he always had, thankful for the life that he lived. Rest in Peace, Kevin.

He was preceded in death by his brother Gary W. Letson, who was killed in action during the Vietnam War, his parents, father-in-law Ed Terhar, and brother- in- law John Concialdi.

He is survived by his sister Sharon (Letson) Concialdi, his wife Mary (Terhar), son Tyler, daughter Ashley (Letson) and her husband Thomas Wacaster, his grandson Maverick Wacaster, and a large extended family.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in Kevin’s name.

https://fundraising.stjude.org/site/TR?px=8030403&fr_id=133399&pg=personal