Esther G. Hess, 97, formerly of Canton, Ohio and frequent visitor to Hughesville, PA, passed away January 14, 2025, at Westminster Retirement Community in Lake Ridge, Virginia where she had lived for 29 years.
Born March 13, 1927, in Columbus, Ohio, she was the daughter of the late Cecil and Stella Garner.
Esther once wrote: “I loved to read so the wider world was open to me.” The world opened up even further for her when she and her husband traveled to India as missionaries.
She and her husband, Dr. W. Robert Hess (Dinny), originally from Hughesville, PA, were happily married for 47 years. With a deep commitment to the Evangelical Friends Church (Ohio Yearly Meeting), they served from 1948 to 1990 as pastors, missionaries, and leaders. For 14 years, they were missionaries in India, first in village work and later at Union Biblical Seminary, training Christian leaders from across India and Asia.
In 1968 they moved to Canton, Ohio, where Robert taught philosophy and history at Malone College and Esther completed her B.A. in Christian Education. She then worked as a librarian at Mason Elementary School, The Canton Repository newspaper, and Malone College.
Esther was a good listener who actively participated in every community she lived in. She, along with her husband, always warmly welcomed people in their home. Her kids could bring home a friend or two for teatime in India or dinner in the US. She had many close friends. She was also her children’s and grandchildren’s most ardent supporter, whatever their interests and pursuits.
She is survived by four children: Kathleen A. (Judy MacLean) Hess of Berkeley, CA; Ronald W. (Cheryl Groff) Hess, of Seattle, WA; Elizabeth J. (Stephen) Watts, of Chantilly, VA; and Daniel R. (Raymond Knapp) Hess, of Fort Bragg, CA; plus eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
In addition to her parents and husband, Esther was preceded in death by her sister, Martha Slatzer.
Funeral Service will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, February 15, 2025 at McCarty-Thomas Funeral Home, 557 E. Water St., Hughesville with Rev. Dan Cale, officiating. Burial will follow at Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Hughesville. Friends may call from 10 to 11 a.m. on Saturday morning at the funeral home.
The family will provide the flowers and suggest memorial contributions to the Hughesville Friends Church or to World Central Kitchen.
Expressions of sympathy may be sent to the family at mccartythomas.com.
