George M. Hess Jr., a fifty-five year member of the Lycoming Law Association, died on March 10, 2006. He was remembered in en banc court session on April 7.

Read the memorial resolutions:

In The Court Of Common Pleas Of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania NO: 06-00630

IN THE MATTER OF THE DEATH OF GEORGE M. HESS, JR., ESQUIRE

RESOLUTIONS OF COMMITTEE

TO THE HONORABLE, THE JUDGES OF SAID COURT:

The Committee appointed by your Honorable Court to prepare Resolutions concerning the death of George M. Hess, Jr., Esquire, reports as follows:

George M. Hess, Jr., was born on August 24, 1921, in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. He was the son of George M. Hess, Sr. and Margaret Swank Hess. He attended the Hughesville public schools and graduated from Hughesville High School in 1939.

After graduating from high school, George attended two years at Asbury College, after which he served in the Army during World War II. George was a captain and tank commander of three tank destroyers, serving in North Africa, Italy, France and Germany. After returning from service, he attended Bucknell University, graduated in 1947, and he received his LL.B. degree (now Juris Doctor) from Harvard Law School in 1950.

George M. Hess was married to Audrey Attig on November 27, 1946. They have three children, Gail S. Engdahl of Montoursville, Mark S. Hess of Cogan Station, and Sylvia J. Hess of Reading, Pennsylvania. They have ten grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. George also has one living brother, Barry W. Hess of Hughesville, and three deceased brothers, Attorney C. Max Hess, W. Robert Hess and James R. Hess, and a living sister, Doris E. Hess of Ashville, North Carolina.

On motion of H. Swank Phillips, Esquire, George was admitted to practice before the civil courts of Lycoming County on March 5, 1951. He was also admitted to practice before the Commonwealth, Superior and Supreme Courts of Pennsylvania, as well as the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania in 1953.

In 1955, George, Michael J. Casale, Sr. and Robert C. Wise formed the law partnership of Hess, Casale & Wise, located at 25 West Third Street in the old First National Bank Building, now Penn Tower. In November of 1958, the partners purchased the building on the northwest corner of Market Square, formerly the Mussina Jewelry Store, where they practiced until October 1961, when they purchased 329 Market Street. 329 Market Street then was the location of the Guillianni Grocery Store, which structure was torn down and the present law offices constructed which presently house the North Penn Legal Services offices.

In 1966 the partnership was reconstituted Hess & Casale, and which partnership ultimately became Hess, Casale & Bonner. All the time that George practiced in Williamsport he also practiced in Hughesville, normally on Tuesday afternoons and Thursday afternoons. About the time that the new addition was added to the rear of the law offices at 329 Market Street, George left that partnership and moved his law offices to William Street. After several years he moved his law offices to the old City Hall Building on Pine Street, and after several more years he moved his offices to the Bidelspacher Building on Market Street, where he practiced until he retired due to health reasons.

In the meantime, George and his brother, C. Max Hess, had purchased property at 30 South Main Street, Hughesville, Pennsylvania, where they formed a partnership known as Hess & Hess. George practiced with his brother, Max Hess, and later with Max’s two sons, Steven D. Hess and Thomas D. Hess. George had many ties to Hughesville and the Hughesville area, but he always considered his law offices in Williamsport as his principal office.

George was extremely active in politics. He was elected Lycoming County District Attorney and served from 1956 through 1959. George was never known as a particularly liberal Democrat and eventually switched his politics to the Republican Party where he remained an active conservative member of that party the rest of his life.

George was a member of the Lycoming County Law Association, serving on its Executive Committee in 1977 and 1978. His law practice covered a wide spectrum, from criminal law to civil law, including real estate, domestic relations, wills, estate planning and administration, and municipal work, representing Hughesville Borough as its solicitor, Hughesville Authority as its solicitor, as well as several townships in eastern Lycoming County.

George suffered a serious stroke in the late summer of 1988, which unfortunately required him to prematurely end his active practice of law about a year later.

George died on March 10, 2006, at Manor Care North where he had resided for the past three years.

As a result of his death the Bar of Lycoming County has lost a respected member, his family has lost a loved and loving member and his clients have lost a skillful advocate. Your Committee recommends the adoption of the following Resolutions:

BE IT RESOLVED, that in the passing of George M. Hess, Jr. there has been a loss to the Bar of Lycoming County of a true servant to the law who upheld the highest traditions of the legal profession, to the community, a respected member, and to his family, a generous, kind, loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and brother, and to his friends and acquaintances, a unique spirit.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a copy of these Resolutions be spread upon the records of this Court, that they be published in the Lycoming Reporter, and that copies of the same be sent to his wife, Audrey, his son, Mark, and his two daughters, Gail and Sylvia, and his brother, Barry, and his sister, Doris.

AND, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that by these Resolutions this Court and its Bar do hereby extend to his wife, his children, his grandchildren, his great-grandchildren and his brother and sister a deep and heartfelt expression of sympathy for their loss.

Respectfully submitted,

Robert C. Wise
Thomas D. Hess
Steven D. Hess
Charles A. Szybist
John R. Bonner

ORDER OF COURT

AND NOW, this 7 day of April, 2006, in consideration of the Resolutions presented by the Committee appointed to draft resolutions in the death of George M. Hess, Jr., Esquire, the said Resolutions are adopted, and it is hereby ORDERED and DECREED that the Resolutions herewith submitted and attached be adopted as the official expression of the Lycoming County Bar Association and this Court; and that the same be spread upon the records of the Court; and that copies of these Resolutions be delivered to the widow, children, and brother and sister of George M. Hess, Jr., Esquire; and

It is further ORDERED and DIRECTED that said Resolutions be entered at large and upon the record of the Court and that they be printed in the Lycoming Reporter.

BY THE COURT

Kenneth D. Brown, President Judge
William S. Kieser, Judge
Nancy L. Butts, Judge
Dudley N. Anderson, Judge
Richard A. Gray, Judge
Clinton W. Smith, Senior Judge