Charles Joseph Hess

Charles J. Hess of Gainesville, GA, formerly of Stratford CT, passed away March 14, 2018 at Lanier Village Estates following an extended illness. He leaves behind his loving wife of 62 years, Ann Pardo Hess, his sister Ellen Hess of Branford, CT, and his sister-in-law Lydia Pardo McMinn of Madison, CT. He is also survived by his two sons: Stephen Hess (Kimberly Decker) of Millsboro, DE, and David Hess (Tiffany Partridge) of Atlanta, GA. He is also survived by his four grandchildren: Andrew Hess, Justin Hess, Lauren Hess, and Dillon Hess. He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Catherine Hess and his brother John Hess Jr. (Joan Farrell). Charlie was born in Meriden, CT on June 1st, 1928. He was the son of a park ranger and spent his childhood years at Indian Wells State Park. He was drafted after high school and served his country as a MP in Bad Tolz, Germany. Upon returning home, he met and married Ann Pardo on June 25th, 1955. He enrolled in the University of Connecticut, where he received a BS in Business in June of 1959. Charlie then found his one and only dream job selling business forms for UARCO, Inc. He had a long and rewarding career of 37 years before retiring in 1996. Charlie and Ann spent their retirement years traveling the world and visiting their growing family. In 2013, they moved to Lanier Village Estates in Gainesville, GA, where he lived out his final years. Charlie enjoyed giving back to his community. He was deeply involved with the Boy Scouts, Little League Baseball, High School Band, and the PTA. In addition, he was very involved with his town serving both as Chairman of the Stratford Planning Commission and Chairman of the Stratford Zoning Commission. Charlie loved his family, the Brooklyn Dodgers, UConn Basketball, and his hometown of Stratford, CT. He spent many hours manicuring his yard, and loved to talk about the stock market, where he never had a loser. He was outgoing and gregarious, quick with a joke, a smile, and he never met a stranger. The family would like to express our sincere gratitude and thanks to the loving staff of Reflections at Lanier Village Estates, who cared for Charlie in his final years. Words cannot express our thanks. We would also like to thank the Pruitt Health Hospice staff for helping us manage our way through this difficult time. You are all special people. A memorial service celebrating the life of Charles J. Hess will be held in the LVE Chapel, April 2nd at 11:00am. Charles will later be interred at a private family ceremony in Clinton, CT. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Pruitt Health Hospice, 700 South Enota, Suite 202, Gainesville, GA 30501 or LVE Samaritan Fund, Lanier Village Estates, 4200 Misty Morning Way, Gainesville, GA 30506.