Heinrich Joseph Hess

We celebrate the life of Heinrich “Harry” Joseph Hess, who passed away peacefully at the age of 93 with his wife of over 70 years, Herta, by his side. Harry was born in Bad Kissingen, Germany, on April 26th, 1930, the youngest of 3 siblings. He is preceded in death by his sisters Marianne and Gertrude, and parents Friedrich “Fritz” Hess and Elisabeth Fries. After completing high school in 1945, Harry attended 3 years of business school, then worked as a transport officer at the International Refugee Organization in Munich from 1950-1952. It was there that he met Herta, who was working as an English translator. With the combination of Herta’s English skills and Harry’s motorcycle, they started a lucrative side business traveling around the city selling black market cigarettes to American soldiers. During their trips, while Harry drove and Herta rode in the sidecar, they often talked about how they idolized the Americans and dreamed of coming to the States. This dream became a reality when Harry was sponsored by Frank Loyst of Rochester and immigrated to the US on February 7th, 1952 on the MS Gripsholm through the Port of New York. Herta joined him in Rochester soon after, and they were married on August 8th, 1952. Harry promptly enlisted in the US Air Force and served from 1952-1956 as an Airman stationed in England and Dobbins Air Force Base in Georgia. He became a US citizen on September 29th, 1954. After his military service, he worked briefly as a mechanic for Greyhound, then spent most of his career as a plant manager at Exxon, retiring in 1991. Herta and Harry enjoyed a thriving social life with the German community in Rochester. Herta hosted a local German radio show, and the two of them took every opportunity to host parties in their backyard pool. They had two children – Michele (Gary) and Ron (Patty) – and once their children were grown, they relocated to Canandaigua Lake, one of the beautiful Finger Lakes. Their lakefront home was the site of many family memories with their children and grandchildren and was perpetually filled with friends, laughter, and Harry’s favorite Yuengling beer. Never one to sit still, he kept busy with his daily walks up Bare Hill or in his garage, which overflowed with tools and anything else you could imagine. Herta and Harry spent many years in Florida, first in Port Charlotte and later in The Villages, where they greatly enjoyed spending time with their neighbors, but finally moved to Baywoods in 2016 to be closer to family. They loved the cobblestoned streets and historic homes of downtown Annapolis, which reminded them of their hometowns in Germany. Herta and Harry (or “Omi” and “Opa” as they are known to their family) are very proud grandparents to three grandchildren (Nicole, Kyle, and Lindsay [Tom]), and three great-grandchildren (Miara, Nasib, and Luke). They celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in 2022. The family would like to thank all the staff at Baywoods and the Hospice of the Chesapeake for their compassionate care for our dear Opa in his final days.

Heinrich Joseph Hess

April 26, 1930 - July 2, 2023