John W. "Jack" Hess

John W. "Jack" Hess, 76, of Summit Township, died Thursday morning August 26, 2010 at his residence following a courageous battle with cancer with the same positive attitude he lived life. Under a cloud of red, white, and blue, Jack left his Earthly home. He loved his God, his Church, his Country, and irrevocably his family. A resident of Erie all of his life he was born March 12, 1934 a son of the late John A. and Elizabeth C. Bleil Hess.

Jack was a 1952 graduate of Academy High School and went on to serve in the United States Army during the Korean Conflict as a Morse Code Interceptor. During his military service, he traveled to Rome to see Pope Pius XII celebrate Mass on Easter Sunday.

He worked for Meadowbrook Dairy for 10 years and most recently worked with the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board as a General Manager for 29 years before retiring in 1994. He was a member of St. James Catholic Church and a life member of the Siebenbuerger Club, Sunflower Club, and South Erie Turners. He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and former Vice President of A.T.S., Erie Branch.

He loved bowling, gardening, and playing cards. He was a die-hard Cleveland Indians and Browns fan and he stuck with the teams until his dying day.

In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by one sister, Betty Goodemote.

Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Mary Ann Casillo Hess; one daughter, Patty Burbules and her husband Elmer of Erie; one son, John R. Hess and his wife Lori of Erie; one brother, Donald H. Hess of Erie; three sisters, Lucille Lackovic of Erie, Mary Bowersox of Canadohta Lake, PA, and Ruth Hedderick of Greenville, PA; and three grandchildren, Rachel and Rebecca Burbules, and Sarah Hess. Many nieces and nephews also survive.

Friends may call at the Russell C. Schmidt & Son Funeral Home Inc., 5000 Wattsburg Road (corner of East Gore Rd. and Pine Ave.) on Saturday from 7 to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. and are invited to prayer services there on Monday morning at 9:45 a.m. followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at St. James Catholic Church at 10:30 a.m.. Burial with military honors will be in Wintergreen Gorge Cemetery.

Memorial contributions can be made to Great Lakes Hospice, 1700 Peach St., Erie, 16501; Regional Cancer Center, 2500 West 12th, Erie, 16505; or St. James Catholic Church, 2635 Buffalo Road, Erie, 16510.

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