George William Hess Sr.'s Obituary
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 Buffalo, New York, on January 20, 1949, the second child of George and Catherine Leahy Hess. He resided in Ashburn, Virginia, since 2010.
George lived a full and purposeful life, filled with humor and wit as well as courage in the face of adversity. He was a devoted and loving husband to his wife of 47 years, Florence, and a proud and caring father and grandfather to his two children and five grandchildren. He was a caring and faithful friend to many.
George was a 1966 graduate of Bishop Timon High School in Buffalo and a 1970 graduate of Manhattan College, in Riverdale, New York, earning a bachelor’s degree in English Literature. He attended graduate school at Fordham University in the Bronx.
After college, he worked as a district manager for AT&T for 26 years, retiring in 1998, after which he worked as an Information Technology contractor for two years, retiring for good in 2000. He always loved his job and was loved and admired by those who reported to him. He loved to throw a party, even very large AT&T picnics and fund raisers.
Retirement allowed George more time to do the things he loved, like writing novels; baking goodies for everyone; playing golf, including 43 years of helping to organize an annual 4-day, out-of-town tournament for sixteen golfers. He was an enthusiastic fan of the New York Yankees, Buffalo Bills (I know, sad), Virginia Tech Hokies and Virginia Cavaliers.
George is lovingly remembered by his children, George William, Jr. (“Geordie”) and his wife Mary of Leesburg, Virginia; and Kelly and her husband Chris Moskal, also of Leesburg, Virginia. He was so proud of each of them and enjoyed their company immensely.
Remembering their fun, caring Grandpa are his grandchildren, Madeline Eve (“Maddie” or “Magpie”), Emersyn Kate (“Emmie” or “Tweetie Pie”), Andie Marie (“Andie Pandie”), George William III (“Georgie”) and Catherine Joanne (“Katie Jo”). He loved them with his whole heart and they adored him.
George was preceded in death by his father, George Louis, and is survived by his dear mother Catherine of Buffalo; his brother Paul and sister-in-law Marisa of Memphis; his sister Mary Beth and brother-in-law Pat of Buffalo; his brother Jack and sister-in-law Linda of Shelby, NC; his sister Joanne and brother-in-law Mark of Buffalo; his uncle John, a Franciscan missionary in Brazil; twelve adoring nieces and nephews; and many in-laws who provided endless entertainment and who thought the world of him.
If you wish to honor the generous, witty, caring, loving soul of George, there are a couple of things you can do: Raise a glass and toast him at the family dinner table; smile when you think of him cracking a joke or telling one of his countless stories.
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou
If you wish to make a contribution in George’s name, you can donate to Covenant House, a favorite charity of his that takes in homeless teenagers, founded by one of his professors at Manhattan College. Their address is: Times Square Station, P.O. Box 731, New York, NY 10108-0900, www.covenanthouse.org.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Loudoun Funeral Chapel in Leesburg, Virginia. www.loudounfuneralchapel.com.
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