Lester Gamble, 87, Brought Spam to Hawaiians
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
Lester Gamble Sr., a decorated Navy veteran who later became a food broker credited with popularizing Spam canned luncheon meat in Hawaii, died January 12 at Kona Community Hospital in Kailua-Kona, Hi. He was 87.
Born in South Dakota in 1917, Gamble served in the Navy in Hawaii during World War II and in 1948 founded L.H. Gamble Co., which became a major food brokerage.
The company represented the makers of Spam, Hormel Foods Corp., among others. Gamble promoted the luncheon meat so that it became a mainstay of popular local meals, said his son, Lester Gamble Jr.
Created in 1937, Spam was adopted by U.S. military forces during World War II because it did not need refrigeration.
Soldiers from Hawaii especially liked it and began looking for it when they returned home, Gamble said. It also became a popular lunch meat for plantation workers because it did not need refrigeration.
Today, Hawaii residents consume nearly 7 million cans of Spam a year, an average of about six cans for every man, woman, and child.
Gamble attended the University of California at Berkeley before joining the Navy just before World War II. He commanded a PT boat during the war and was recognized for his heroic actions at Guadalcanal with the Navy Cross, the Silver Star and a Presidential Citation.
