Lester S. Briney

Lester S. Briney, 81, of Bluffton, South Carolina, passed away peacefully on February 6, 2026, after a long illness.

Born in Akron, Ohio, Les was the son of Gerald Briney and Helen Hardesty. He graduated from Saratoga High School in Saratoga, California, and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley in 1966.

Following graduation, Les began his career as an engineer and programmer with IBM, soon transitioning into customer-facing roles in marketing and business development. Over the course of his distinguished career, he worked with several innovative startup technology companies, serving in a wide range of leadership and technical roles including strategy development and software engineering.

Les led the design team for Prodigy Service, one of the earliest online services that helped shape the future of internet connectivity. He later served as Chief Technology Officer for a company that pioneered wireless shelf-edge price labeling technology, enabling retailers to update pricing electronically. As Vice President of Engineering for BoxLot, he contributed to one of the earliest online auction platforms serving both consumers and retailers. In recent years, Les worked as a consultant and expert witness in patent litigation involving major technology companies including AOL, Microsoft, IBM, and Google.

Les proudly served in the United States Army. He worked as a COBOL programmer at Fort Sheridan, Illinois, and later as a weapons designer at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, where he helped develop sensing devices to detect troop movement. He was honorably discharged in 1967.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Les had a lifelong love of music. Blessed with an excellent voice, he enjoyed singing and performing in plays during high school. At UC Berkeley, he was a member of the Cal Glee Club, touring Europe during his senior year. He also sang carols alongside Ella Fitzgerald at the City of Paris department store in San Francisco and participated in group performances of Handel’s Messiah whenever time allowed.

Les is survived by his beloved wife, Katherine (“Kathe”) Kline of Bluffton, South Carolina; his brother, Roger Briney (Jenny) of Keswick, Virginia; his sister, Pam Baker (Jack) of Warren, Connecticut; and his sister, Michelle O’Rear of Austin, Texas.

Interment with military honors will be held at Beaufort National Cemetery in Beaufort, South Carolina, at 11:00 a.m. on March 13, 2026. A celebration of Les’s life will follow at 2:00 p.m. on March 13, 2026 (evite.me/Les).

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Les’s memory may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation (www.parkinson.org) or the Jasper County YMCA (www.beaufort-jasperymca.org/jasperymca).