Leslie "Les" Moore Kasten

Leslie Moore Kasten, age 72, passed peacefully on August 19th, 2026 in hospice care provided at his nursing home in St. Paul, Minnesota. He was born on December 13th, 1953 to Marlene Oakes, and would later be adopted by his father, Myron Kasten.

Les lived a well varied life and enjoyed car shows, rebuilding vintage Pontiac cars (his favorite was the Catalina), passenger trains, and music.

If you knew Les, you knew his deep love for The Moody Blues, Electric Light Orchestra, and Jan and Dean.

He is survived by his sons, Eric Kasten and Kyle Kasten, his daughter, Valerie (Kasten) Moore, and one grand-daughter.

Les chose cremation and requested no service be held; in his words, "I don't need a party I won't be invited to". In lieu of flowers, Les' family requests trees to be planted in his honor, which can be done below.

He will be remembered for his service to his country in the United States Air Force, his humor, his deep love for all things Pontiac, and his memorable stories.

life story

An Avid Pontiac Fan

In life, Les was an avid fan, collector, and refurbisher of Pontiac vehicles. Whether he was helping another fan find old parts, scouring motor vehicle flea markets, or creating after-market parts himself, Les was a figure-head in the Pontiac collector space.

To the left is a beautiful 1965 Pontiac Catalina 2+2 Convertible in Samoan Bronze that Les helped provide some rare parts for (owned by a family friend).