Elderly Long Beach woman at center of legal battle over life support dies

The elderly Long Island woman at the center of a legal battle over life support between her two sons has died, according to a spokesman for Nassau County courts.

Courts spokesman Dan Bagnuola on Friday said he could not provide any further details about the death of Arline Lester, citing a gag order issued by Judge Julianne Capetola on Jan. 7 that bars her sons Kyle Lester and Edward Lester, as well as their lawyers, from discussing the case. Capetola also sealed all documents related to the case.

Jonathan Rosenberg of Brooklyn, Edward Lester’s attorney, declined to comment. Michael Zapson of Garden City, Kyle Lester’s attorney, did not return a request for comment.

Arline Lester, 91, of Long Beach, had been hospitalized at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan since October with respiratory and circulation problems.

The longtime New York City public school math teacher had signed a living will in 1999 requesting to be taken off life support if she became seriously ill. Her oldest son, Edward Lester, 62, of Long Beach, claimed she had changed her mind and shared a video with the New York Post before Capetola issued the gag order he claims shows her mouthing the words, “I want to live.”

Kyle Lester, 58, of Dix Hills, claimed in court papers that his older brother Edward Lester wanted to keep their mother alive with a ventilator and feeding tube against her wishes so he could continue to collect her $5,400 a month in Social Security and pension payments, an allegation Edward Lester vehemently denied.

Edward Lester and Kyle Lester did not return calls for comment.