Dick Hess

Francis (Dick) Hess, 85, of Grants Pass died Saturday, August 18, 2018, at Asante Three Rivers Hospital in Grants Pass.

Memorial services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, September 29th at First Christian Church with Brother Greg Widener and Ron McCallum officiating. Memorial contributions may be made to Reaching Our Community Food Pantry, 564 SW Foundry Street, Grants Pass, Oregon 97526.

Dick was born October 11, 1932 in Luzerne, Pennsylvania. Dick served in the Navy from 1951 to 1955 on the USS Wiltsie (DD716). Prior to moving to Grants Pass in 1974 from Richmond, California, Dick worked as a foreman for Sinclair Valentine & Frye, Inc in Oakland. From 1975, Dick and his late wife, Sherry, were long haul truck drivers, owning their own trucks, known as D & S Trucking. Dick retired from trucking, but it wasn’t long that he found retirement wasn’t for him, and he started working for The Oil House and found a great group of friends to work with.

On September 4, 2000, Dick married Barbara Hanna Cochran in Williams, Oregon and began another 18 years of being on the road besides working. Together they traveled in their big blue truck and eventually hauled a 5th wheel. When Dick told Barb he didn’t go past Roseburg or Medford, she told him “I guess you’ll just stay home.” He decided he’d go and they did – cruises, day trips, trips to the East Coast, Florida – good memories. And when he did stay home, he enjoyed gardening, watching the 49er games, volunteering for the Red Cross and the ROC.

Dick is survived by his wife, Barbara; children Laura Hess Ramage, Tina Hess Johnson and Thomas Hess; step-children Velda (David) Cowgill, Errol (Ed) McIntire, Debra McIntire, Charlotte McIntire, Donald (Jani-Zigray) Cochran, Susan Cochran, Pamela Cochran, Brian (Tammy) Cochran; many grandchildren and great-grandchildren who called him Papa Dick; a favorite niece Donna Hess of Butler, New Jersey and nephew Stanley Duda of Simi Valley, California; plus, furry friends, Queenie and Max.

Dick was preceded in death by his parents Elmer and Margaret (Corrigan) Hess; brother Donald Hess; and sister Nancy (Charles) Duda.