In loving memory of
Clair
L. Hess
January
19, 1920 - November 28, 2016
Clair always had something nice to say.
He was born in Coalmont, PA, the son of the late Marshall Earl Hess and Stella V. (Ritchey) Hess. He coached wrestling and was a graduate of Penn State University. A retired U S Army Colonel, Clair was part of Tom Brokaw’s “Greatest Generation” and served with the 101st Airborne Division in WWII, seeing action at Normandy on D-Day, the Battle of the Bulge in the Ardennes Forest of Belgium and Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands. For bravery he earned the Bronze Star with Cluster for valor as well as a Purple Heart with Clusters for wounds received in combat. He also served in Korea and culminated his distinguished 27 year Army career as Professor of Military Science at the University of Pennsylvania.
After retirement from the military, Clair worked at Lee Tire & Rubber in Conshohocken for 10 years. He was an active bridge player and an avid square dancer. Throughout his lifetime he willingly and generously assisted friends and family in time of need. He is survived by his 4 children: Scott Hess & wife, Darlene of Ashland VA, Nancy OmahaBoy of Reading, PA, Allen Hess & wife, Melinda of Rome, ME and Kathy Collins & husband, Ronald of Saint Augustine, FL. He also had 3 grandchildren: Greg Hess, Nicole Hess and Robert OmahaBoy and 6 great grandchildren. Clair was divorced from Alice Hess of Palm Harbor, FL. His long time companion was Janice Hampton of Swarthmore, PA. He is also survived by his siblings, Willard “Dan” Hess & wife, Mary Jo of Blairsville, PA and Meda M. Rager of Indiana, PA. He was preceded in death by his sister, Eunice Beard.
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