Birth date: Jan 20, 1949 Death date: Aug 6, 2017
George William Hess Obituary George William Hess, age 68, of Ashburn, Virginia, passed away peacefully at Inova Loudoun Hospital in Lansdowne, Virginia, on Sunday, August 6, 2017, surrounded by his family. George was born in Buf Read Obituary
Just learned of George's passing and am so sorry. I was in George's class in Manhattan College 1970 so long ago. He played the guitar so well... RIP George.
George William Hess Eulogy
Written by Geordie Hess and Kelly Hess Moskal
Delivered by Geordie Hess on August 12, 2017
Good morning. My name is George William Hess, Jr., Geordie, and I am George’s son. Thank you all for coming here today to pay your respects to the wonderful man I was lucky enough to call Dad. In talking with so many of you yesterday, and seeing you here today, it is abundantly clear to me the impact that my father’s life had on so many people. My father was a dutiful son, adoring husband to his wife, Florence, of 47 years, faithful father, doting grandfather, loving brother, supportive uncle, and loyal friend. All of us are here today because he touched our lives deeply in many ways.
When we were children, my sister Kelly and I knew my father as the hardest working man on the planet. He worked tirelessly as a district manager at AT&T where all who worked for and with him admired and adored him. Many of these folks continued to be among his closest friends throughout the years. He organized and put on fundraisers as well as huge parties and picnics. His work ethic was evident at home as well, where he was extremely handy. He remodeled our kitchen and built our deck in New York. He finished our basement in Virginia. He was an electronics guru and loved to tinker with his home entertainment systems. In all of this, he still found time to pursue his passions for playing golf, writing (he wrote two novels...still available on Amazon, by the way), reading, listening to country music, and most of all, being a devoted and steadfast family man.
Much like his father George did for him, my dad instilled in me his passion for sports. I am so blessed to be an avid fan of the World Champion New York Yankees (great game last night), where he and I had the opportunity to see countless games in the House that Ruth Built. I am equally as cursed to be just as avid a fan of the Buffalo Bills. When Kelly and I went off to rival colleges, UVA and Virginia Tech, respectively, he immediately adopted both schools and followed their football and basketball teams faithfully. He not only watched sports but was also an active participant. For a man of only 5’5” he was indeed a force to be reckoned with on basketball courts and softball fields. But his true love of the sports world was golf. Over the last 43 years, he gleefully organized and ran a large multi-day golf outing aptly named the Moonshine Open, formerly known as the OSG (I won’t explain that acronym here in a house of God). Whether we were watching together, playing together, or just talking about golf, so much of the strength in our relationship surrounded that four-letter word. see continued
Unfortunately, everything changed for my father in 1996 when a routine surgery went awry and rearranged his anatomy. This led to many significant health battles over these last 21 years. With my mother’s unwavering devotion and support, my father faced these battles with a toughness and determination we had not seen before, and not sure we will ever see again. Despite all the hardship, Dad always kept his wit, sense of humor, and caring nature. Even when he wasn’t feeling well, his main concern was always the enjoyment of others. When he was no longer able to participate in the Moonshine Open, he continued to organize everything, and even visited the fellas on the trip when he could. He would often bake desserts for the nurses and doctors that cared for him just to brighten their day. His cheesecake was legendary. Few things, if any, however, brought my father more joy on this earth than being with his 5 grandkids. He was so proud of his Magpie, Tweetie Pie, Andie Pandie Bear, Georgie, and Katie Jo. Because we all live so close, he was able to constantly shower them with love - and slyly sneak them Nilla Wafers, Twizzlers, Reese’s peanut butter cups, sticks of gum, and palmed dollar bills they so delighted in getting only from Grandpa. He was such a big part of their lives, from the silly signs he made with their faces photoshopped onto turkeys at Thanksgiving, to the simple, quiet moments with him on walks through the neighborhood. Kelly and I feel so blessed to know that our dad knew our kids so well and that our children will always carry with them so many special memories of their Grandpa.
Dad is home now, comforted by the love of the friends and family that have gone before him, leaving those of us who grieve his passing with the joy of his memory. One thing I know for sure about my dad, he would not want us to sit around and wallow in sadness. So every time we play or watch golf, every time we read (or write) a good book, every time we root for those stinking Bills, or listen to a good country song, let us remember my dad and know that his generous spirit and loving nature will live on in all of us for generations to come. Thank you, and God Bless.
To the family of George Hess: It's been so long since we've seen each other I don't know if I can remember a memory except that we shared membership in that exclusive group - the children of our mothers' club. Still I remember you well George and I'm so sorry we didn't have a chance to run into each other in our travels.
I'm so sorry for your loss.
I did not know George but I know his sister, Mary Beth who has many of his qualities.
May God grant his family all the graces needed at this very sad time.
Sincerely
Sister Mary Ann Schimscheiner, RSM
A wonderful man, left us too soon. You will always hold a special place in my heart. Love always, Flint
