Firmly committed to the ideals of community and education, Lesher was known for his generous donations of both time and money. He served on the Board of Governors of the California Community College System, and as a trustee of the California State University System, St. Mary's College, and John F. Kennedy University. His mark should be familiar in the Dean and Kathryn Lesher Library at Merced Junior College, the Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, California, and the Margaret Lesher Student Union Building of Diablo Valley College.