Office Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Calls outside of office hours? No worries! Our team will respond within 10–15 minutes.
February 4, 2013
Services
Funeral services will be held Tuesday, February 12, 2013 at 9 AM from the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, then to Saint Bonaventure RC Church, Ramsey Street in Woodland Park, where at 10 AM, a Funeral Mass will be offered. Friends may visit with the family at the funeral home on Monday from 2-4 and 7-9 PM.
Ruth Hess (nee Messler) age 87, was born and raised in Paterson, New Jersey, at 397 East 30th Street. She attended Paterson Grammar School #13, and graduated from Paterson’s Eastside High School with the Class of 1942. Ruth then matriculated at the Paterson General Hospital School of Nursing, where she graduated as a Registered Nurse with the Class of 1946.
Ruth served for many years at the Paterson General Hospital in a variety of nursing and supervisory positions, and then took time out to raise her family. Ruth loved her family with unconditional devotion and compassion. As the children matured, she returned to her love of nursing at the Paterson General. She later became Director of Nursing at the Cherry Nursing Home in Montclair, retiring from this position in 1989. Ruth prided herself in being a Florence Nightingale nurse, indefatigable in her efforts and exercising unyielding ethics. Another of Ruth’s loves was the study of Latin. As a young girl she studied Latin extensively. When her children would ask for help with a word’s definition, they would often be given a lengthy explanation of the Latin derivation.
Ruth was gifted with a great intellect, overshadowed only by an infinite compassion and selflessness. Empathetic to those in need, and to all of God's gentle creatures, hers was a most giving, virtuous and tenacious nature. As unconditional as her love could be, Ruth could also be brutally honest… she was so honest that it was oftentimes hilarious.
She was a proud member of the Order of the Eastern Star, where she established many friendships. Her interest in the Eastern Star was sparked by her father being a 32nd Degree Mason. Ruth later converted to the Roman Catholic faith, and remained a devout Catholic throughout her life.
When Ruth was a nurse at Paterson General Hospital, she received a parking ticket and went to the police station to inquire about it. It was while she was at the police station that she was spied by a handsome young police officer named John Joseph Hess. John asked Ruth’s uncle who was assisting her to introduce him. They were introduced, and their first date was to Libby’s for a chili dog and a milkshake. As far as John was concerned, this was the perfect girl and the perfect date. They quickly fell in love and after John’s proposal, the first person he told was a homeless man in an abandoned building. John woke him to tell him the good news. As you can see, both John and Ruth were non-judgmental and caring people. They married at Saint Joseph's Church in Paterson on Valentine’s Day in 1953. They were supposed to honeymoon at Niagara Falls, New York, but duty called and this never happened. Twenty-plus years into the marriage, they did take a weekend at the Waldorf Astoria and called it their honeymoon.
Sadness struck her life in 1975 when her husband, John Hess, who was Assistant Police Chief of the Paterson Police Department, passed away. John and Ruth had previously lost one of their children, James Hess, who was only two days old. She was also predeceased by a sister, Arlene Messler, who died at just two years and three months old.
Surviving to mourn the loss of this very special mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and sister are her children, Margaret Jessie Trottier of Houston, TX, John Joseph Hess and his wife Sandra of Clifton, VA, Mary Rose Luckhaus and her husband Martin of Greensboro, NC, and Suzanne Elizabeth Hess of Fort Mill, SC; one sister, Marilyn Joyce Kazimir and her husband Charles of Clifton, NJ. She is also survived by eight grandchildren, Mileva, Daniel, Jamie, John Sven, John Joseph, Ryan, Thomas, Meghan; and two great-grandchildren, Jacob and Jessica. Ruth is also mourned by her dearest Dragana and Svetlana, and the members of her cherished chosen family.
Those planning an expression of sympathy in Ruth’s memory are asked to consider the ASPCA or the local animal welfare chapter of one's choosing.
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
Funeral services will be held Tuesday, February 12, 2013 at 9 AM from the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, then to Saint Bonaventure RC Church, Ramsey Street in Woodland Park, where at 10 AM, a Funeral Mass will be offered. Friends may visit with the family at the funeral home on Monday from 2-4 and 7-9 PM.
February 4, 2013
Services
Funeral services will be held Tuesday, February 12, 2013 at 9 AM from the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, then to Saint Bonaventure RC Church, Ramsey Street in Woodland Park, where at 10 AM, a Funeral Mass will be offered. Friends may visit with the family at the funeral home on Monday from 2-4 and 7-9 PM.
Ruth Hess (nee Messler) age 87, was born and raised in Paterson, New Jersey, at 397 East 30th Street. She attended Paterson Grammar School #13, and graduated from Paterson’s Eastside High School with the Class of 1942. Ruth then matriculated at the Paterson General Hospital School of Nursing, where she graduated as a Registered Nurse with the Class of 1946.
Ruth served for many years at the Paterson General Hospital in a variety of nursing and supervisory positions, and then took time out to raise her family. Ruth loved her family with unconditional devotion and compassion. As the children matured, she returned to her love of nursing at the Paterson General. She later became Director of Nursing at the Cherry Nursing Home in Montclair, retiring from this position in 1989. Ruth prided herself in being a Florence Nightingale nurse, indefatigable in her efforts and exercising unyielding ethics. Another of Ruth’s loves was the study of Latin. As a young girl she studied Latin extensively. When her children would ask for help with a word’s definition, they would often be given a lengthy explanation of the Latin derivation.
Ruth was gifted with a great intellect, overshadowed only by an infinite compassion and selflessness. Empathetic to those in need, and to all of God's gentle creatures, hers was a most giving, virtuous and tenacious nature. As unconditional as her love could be, Ruth could also be brutally honest… she was so honest that it was oftentimes hilarious.
She was a proud member of the Order of the Eastern Star, where she established many friendships. Her interest in the Eastern Star was sparked by her father being a 32nd Degree Mason. Ruth later converted to the Roman Catholic faith, and remained a devout Catholic throughout her life.
When Ruth was a nurse at Paterson General Hospital, she received a parking ticket and went to the police station to inquire about it. It was while she was at the police station that she was spied by a handsome young police officer named John Joseph Hess. John asked Ruth’s uncle who was assisting her to introduce him. They were introduced, and their first date was to Libby’s for a chili dog and a milkshake. As far as John was concerned, this was the perfect girl and the perfect date. They quickly fell in love and after John’s proposal, the first person he told was a homeless man in an abandoned building. John woke him to tell him the good news. As you can see, both John and Ruth were non-judgmental and caring people. They married at Saint Joseph's Church in Paterson on Valentine’s Day in 1953. They were supposed to honeymoon at Niagara Falls, New York, but duty called and this never happened. Twenty-plus years into the marriage, they did take a weekend at the Waldorf Astoria and called it their honeymoon.
Sadness struck her life in 1975 when her husband, John Hess, who was Assistant Police Chief of the Paterson Police Department, passed away. John and Ruth had previously lost one of their children, James Hess, who was only two days old. She was also predeceased by a sister, Arlene Messler, who died at just two years and three months old.
Surviving to mourn the loss of this very special mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and sister are her children, Margaret Jessie Trottier of Houston, TX, John Joseph Hess and his wife Sandra of Clifton, VA, Mary Rose Luckhaus and her husband Martin of Greensboro, NC, and Suzanne Elizabeth Hess of Fort Mill, SC; one sister, Marilyn Joyce Kazimir and her husband Charles of Clifton, NJ. She is also survived by eight grandchildren, Mileva, Daniel, Jamie, John Sven, John Joseph, Ryan, Thomas, Meghan; and two great-grandchildren, Jacob and Jessica. Ruth is also mourned by her dearest Dragana and Svetlana, and the members of her cherished chosen family.
Those planning an expression of sympathy in Ruth’s memory are asked to consider the ASPCA or the local animal welfare chapter of one's choosing.
Guestbook