Jon Lester is a great story. The Bellarmine Prep grad starts an amazing baseball career, gets cancer, beats that and comes back in time to throw Game 4 of the World Series.

And Pierce County officials don’t want you to forget that both his parents still live and work here. Here’s a release they put out Monday:

Boston starting pitcher Jon Lester, who earned the plaudits from teammates Sunday after pitching the Red Sox to their second World Series victory in four years, is the son of Pierce County Sheriff's Sgt. John Lester and Road Operations Maintenance Technician Kathie Lester.

The parents attended all four Red Sox victories, including the finale in which their son shut out the Colorado Rockies on three hits over five and 2/3 innings. Sgt. Lester supervises his department's Civil Division, and Kathie works at the Puyallup Road Shop. Jon Lester is a 2002 Bellarmine Preparatory School graduate.

"We feel like he's our kid," said Community Service Officer Sandi Estep of herself and colleagues. "We consider him part of the Sheriff's Department family."

The 23-year-old, who overcame chemotherapy after being diagnosed with lymphoma last year, was making his first postseason start.
Mike Lowell, named the World Series Most Valuable Player, offered up special praise for Lester after Sunday's 4-3 triumph. "I'm ecstatic for him," Lowell said of the left-hander. "I don't think too many people expected him to be in that situation and against a very good hitting team in a tough park to pitch in. He did an excellent job."

Manager Terry Francona thought it was fitting for Lester to cap off the World Series sweep. "I'm so proud of Jon Lester," Francona said.
"There's so many things to talk about with Jon. But the way he pitched, the way he composed himself, the way he competed, I thought it was very appropriate that he got the win."