Les Rhea

Leslie “Les” Dean Rhea, 82, of New Cumberland, PA, and formerly of Mechanicsburg, PA, passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by family, on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. Born on January 31, 1944 in Harrisburg, he was the son of the late Leslie and Agnes (Snellman) Rhea.

Les grew up living above his family’s second street pharmacy in Harrisburg with his parents and sister. Some of his fondest memories as a child were trips to their summer cottage along the Yellow Breeches, canoeing, fishing, and relaxing in nature.

A 1961 graduate of William Penn High School in Harrisburg, Les went on to study at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science, following in the footsteps of his parents and sister. However, it only took a couple of years at pharmacy school for Les to realize that the true love of his life was his best friend, Paula. Les returned to Harrisburg to marry Paula in 1965 and settled down in Mechanicsburg. He went on to build a career dedicated to sales and management, including more than two decades as a state employee managing several wine and spirits stores. They were blessed with their first and only child, Kimberly, who Les deeply loved and cherished for the rest of his life.

Les is remembered as a loving husband, dad, grandad, and great-grandad. He loved sharing his passion for good music, especially doo-wop and songs from the 50s, 60s, and beyond with family and friends. One of his favorite pastimes was playing his music loudly and dancing with Paula and the family in the living room. Les particularly enjoyed having his family close by during the holidays, especially Christmas, and summer vacations to the beach.

A horse racing enthusiast, it wasn’t unusual to find him seated at the dining room table with several newspapers spread out in front of him, studying the horses and making his picks. Les also enjoyed simple pleasures like crossword puzzles, movies, and the view of nature from their apartment window at Willow Mill Creek. He especially enjoyed chocolate chip cookies alongside his morning coffee. Les and Paula enjoyed their cats, and when their grand-dogs came to visit.

He is survived by his wife and best friend of 62 years, Paula (King) Rhea; daughter, Kim (Rhea) Flegal; grandchildren, Chris Flegal and his wife, Kayla, and Kelly (Flegal) Zangrillo and her husband, Rob; great-grandchildren, Robert, Aurora, and Dorian Zangrillo, and Rhea and Noah Flegal; and nephews, Richard Kunkle (Suzanne), Rodney Kunkle, Nelson Brumbach, Anthony Sabine, and Nicholas Small. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Lee (Rhea) Kunkle and her husband, Richard Kunkle; sister-in-law, Karen (King) File; and his niece, Angela King.

Les's family will gather at a later date to celebrate his life.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Les’s name to the Helen O. Krause Animal Foundation in Dillsburg, PA.