For Charlotte Lesser, the feeling was—and is—mutual. Thinking they might make a good match, Charlotte’s roommate at the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB), also Russ’ cousin, invited them to her house in the San Fernando Valley. That night, the two partnered to play the card game Hearts into the “wee hours” of the morning. “We were partners at Hearts, and we’ve been partners ever since. I took one look at him and said, ‘Oh my gosh! What would it be like to spend the rest of my life with this guy?’” Charlotte says. She continues, “The first thing Russ did when he met me was buy me diving lessons at Dive N’ Surf. Shortly after that we went to Catalina, and that’s when I knew I had to start to train and be active.”
came a CPA and began doing work for Dive N’ Surf and Body Glove. In 1990, the Meistrells made Russ an “offer he couldn’t refuse”— to become the full-time president of Body Glove. “I became the only non-family shareholder,” Russ says. “At 72, I have no exit strategy. I’ve been very lucky.” Although the Lessers keep it real, often lamenting the “yuppification” of the once-quaint beach town they call home, this dynamic duo is no less than a beach cities power couple. They have successfully managed to parlay their passion for healthy, outdoor living into extensive civic, philanthropic and professional careers. “It’s so important to really look within yourself to discover your
When they met, Russ was a student at California State University Long Beach (CSULB) and was friends with Bill Meistrell and Bob Meistrell, who owned Dive N’ Surf—a Redondo Beach marine and dive shop still at its original location on North Broadway. Russ met the brothers a few years earlier during a visit to the store to get his boat’s outboard motor fixed. Bill talked Russ, along with his brother and cousin, into taking diving lessons. They became fast friends, and the brothers promised Russ that when he became an accountant, they would give him their accounting work. Seeking a way to combat California’s cold water, in 1953 the Meistrell brothers discovered an insulating material used in the back of refrigerators. With this neoprene, they fashioned the first practical wet suits. Their new innovation led to the creation of Body Glove. After finishing Army service in 1964, Russ went to work for the Long Beach accounting firm Windes & McClaughry, where he would later become managing partner. Two years after joining the firm, he be-
true purpose in life—whether it’s a job or volunteering,” Charlotte says. “You’re happiest when you have a purpose.” Charlotte was born in the other Manhattan (New York). With an early passion for medicine and health, she intended to follow her pediatrician father’s footsteps and started as a pre-med student at Skidmore College in New York. However, after transferring to UCSB and meeting Russ, she “decided to become pre-wife” and earned her bachelor’s degree in analytical biology. She became a licensed medical technologist but found she could better fulfill her passion serving her community and working to improve its health and safety. In 1980, she spearheaded the formation of the Manhattan Beach Neighborhood Watch program. This led to her nomination as the Manhattan Beach Lion’s Club citizen of the year. She still serves as the program’s chair. From 1993 to 2003, she served as director of health education and promotion services for the Beach Cities Health District. There she
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SUMMER 2013