Hess, Larry
HESS, Larry
Larry Hess, 81, of Tallahassee, Florida, passed away on July 28, 2023, at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital.
Larry was born on October 23, 1941, to Glen and Alma Hess, in Hammond, IN. He lived there until college at Purdue University, earning his degree in electrical engineering. After a start in aeronautical engineering at North America Aviation and Lockheed, he found his home at the Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta, Georgia. As a project manager, Larry was overseer of the projects Coca-Cola wanted him to build all over the world, some of which included China, Australia, Guam, Germany, East Germany, Puerto Rico, Tanzania, and Singapore. His final assignment was in India, and he worked there exclusively until retirement in 1997. Larry married the love of his life, Laura, on June 13, 1992. During their 31-year marriage, she was able to travel to him and bring a sense of love and home to him in whatever corner of the world he was in.
After retiring at 56, Larry never wanted to fly again. He kept that promise, excluding a few hunting or fishing trips to Alaska and the Rockies. With over two million miles flown Delta, as with much of his life, he gifted flights to people in need. He always wanted to help anyone he could, and continued to do so until the day he died. He loved to tease, joke, give nicknames, and surprise people with gifts of candy, donuts, or something unexpected.
Besides Laura, his great love was fishing in the gulf and hunting, though later in life it was only with a camera. He put many miles on his boat, and many more on his 4-Runner going between his acreage in Wakulla County and Butler, GA. In recent years, gardening became an obsession. Whether at home or at the Y, he was planting flowers, vegetables or trees, only giving them a short while to produce or they would be replaced quickly. Larry bought the Y and built the signage wall. Space was made for local artists Nell Schultz and Helen Cleveland to paint local wildlife that he would update every couple of years. It was a tribute to the places and things he loved the most.
Larry is survived by his loving wife, Laura, of Shell Point; his sister, Linda Glazebrook (Mike), of Woodstock, GA; sisters and brothers-in-law, Marsha Warden (Karl) of Nashville, TN, Rusty Hagan (Cindy), of Lawrenceville, GA, and Linda Hagan of Decatur, GA. Many nephews and nieces, and their children, will always miss their Uncle Larry at his entertaining best.
Larry was preceded in death by his parents, Glen and Alma Hess Witthoeft; and step-father, Orville Witthoeft.
Bring your best stories, pictures and fond memories to his Celebration of Life at 6 PM on October 21, 2023, at Shell Point Beach.
Memorial donations can be made to COABI (Communities of Apalachee Bay, Inc), which benefits our local community, or Apalachee Bay Volunteer Fire Department. Both can be sent to 38 Sandy Lane, Crawfordville, Florida 32327.
The family is being assisted by Jackie Fulford and James Sircy, of Young Fulford Funeral Home and Crematory, Tallahassee, Florida. 850.610.4444.
View the obituary on Legacy.com
Funeral Home Information
Young Fulford Funeral Home
4948 Six Oaks Dr
Tallahassee, FL
32303
