Obituary of David Hess

David Austin Hess, 86, of State College, died May 12, 2011, at Mount Nittany Medical Center. Born December 31, 1924, in Bellefonte, he was the son of the late Samuel M. Hess and Minnie Kathryn Portzline Hess. He also was preceded in death by a brother Newton Ernest Hess and his wife Charlene. He is survived by two sisters, Sara E. Hess and Phyllis Hess McWilliams, and her husband, George, all of State College; six nephews and nieces, Luke McWilliams, and his wife, Mary, of Littleton, Colo., Tom McWilliams, and his wife, Donna, of Webster, N.H., Phyllis Ann McWilliams Schmidt, of Flemington, N.J., Galen McWilliams, and his wife, Kathy, of State College, Sam Hess, and his wife, Sarah, of Asheville, N.C., Jon Hess, and his wife Mary, of Wilkes-Barre, Martha Hess, of Breinigsville, fourteen grandnephews and grandnieces, Dawn Steiger, and his wife, Ann, of Denver, Colo., Heather DeJesus, and her husband, Dan, of Tacoma, Wash., David McWilliams, of Webster, N.H., Becky Meinecke, and her husband , James, of Quincy, Mass., Sarah McWilliams, of Seattle, Wash., Daniel McWilliams, of Bristol, N.H., Katrina Schmidt, of San Antonio, Texas, Cassandra Schmidt, of Berkley Heights, N.J., Nickole Dreibelbis, and her husband, Eric, of Yulee, Fla., Lindsey O'Neill, and her husband, Shawn, of Fernandina Beach, Fla., Lucia Hess, of Asheville, N.C., Christine Hess, of Breinigsville, Michael Hess, of Coopersburg, Charles Hess, of Breinigsville and seven great grandnephews and grandnieces, Guy Steiger, Jonah and Dylan DeJesus, Kristen and Kaden Dreibelbis, and Shea and Beck O'Neill. As a young man he worked on the Hess Family Farm on Branch Roads. David graduated from State College High School in June 1942 where he had played First Chair Trumpet. He served in WWII in the 104TH Infantry Division where he was a Timber Wolf as a 57 mm anti-tank gunner. He fought in France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. He attended Syracuse University and the University of Illinois. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from The Pennsylvania State University. He worked for H.R. Imbt following graduation from college. He was hired to work for National Supply Company of Kansas City in 1951. Armco Steel acquired National Supply Company in 1954, and David then transferred to the Pittsburgh office. He moved to New York. He lived in New York City for 18 years while he was District Manager of New York for Armco Steel. He then moved to Florida in 1975 to become Southeast District Manager of Armco Stainless Steel Division until retirement. David was initiated into Phi Delta Theta Fraternity on January 31, 1943. He was honored as a Golden Legion member for fifty plus years as a Phi Delta Theta brother. He was also a life member of the Penn State Alumni Association, a member of Penn State's Quarterback Club and Buck Harbor Rod and Gun Club. He was an avid Penn State Football fan and enjoyed sailing on summer weekends on Shelter Island and competing on friend's sailboats at the New York Yacht Club events. He spent winter weekends skiing in Stowe, Vermont, and occasionally in Colorado. He enjoyed captaining his boat while in New York City and during retirement, sailing in the Gulf of Mexico near Palm Harbor, Fla. He also enjoyed playing racquetball and was an avid hunter and fisherman. David loved spending time entertaining his friends and family in New York, State College and Florida. A graveside service will be held at 1:00 p.m., Thursday, May 19, 2011 at Centre County Memorial Park with the Rev. Carl Campbell officiating. Burial will be at Centre County Memorial Park.