He used to live in the next town over from mine (maybe still did). Anyway I can remember going to a birthday party at his house for one of his grandchildren (one of my childhood school mates). God bless him....
I grew up one town away from his family's estate in NJ. My dad did some auto upholstery work for him in 1967 and while we were there, Les dragged me around his studio for hours that felt like mere minutes.
I held a guitar for the first time during that encounter and have been playing stringed instruments since then. Les Paul truly influenced me as a young man.
RIP dear sir, you are loved and will be missed.