Robert Hess, 93, Phila. estate lawyer

Robert G. Hess, 93, an estate lawyer in Philadelphia and later in Huntingdon Valley, died Thursday, April 21, of heart failure in Attleboro Village in Langhorne, where he had lived for a decade.

Born in Philadelphia, Mr. Hess graduated from Frankford High School. After serving as a master sergeant in the Signal Corps during World War II, he graduated from Ursinus College and the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

The son of a dye chemist, Mr. Hess was the first in his family to become a lawyer. He passed the bar examination in 1948 and began working under Thomas Howland and Roger Melling, partners of a law firm in the Frankford section of Philadelphia.

After trying his hand at various types of law, he focused on preparing wills, settling estates, and setting up trusts. He believed he could help clients, particularly the elderly, navigate crucial end-of-life issues.

Eventually, the law firm moved to 2444 Huntingdon Pike and became Howland, Hess, Guinan, Torpey, Cassidy & O'Connell L.L.P. Mr. Hess liked the work so much, he never retired.

"What I enjoy most is representing older people who at this point in their lives need guidance, and it's not only legal guidance. It's where to live, how to live. Sometimes you feel like a minister or a priest," he told his family.

Mr. Hess performed volunteer service within the legal world and the community at large. He was active on the boards of directors for what are now Aria Health (formerly Frankford Hospitals), the Aria Health Foundation, and the Wesley Enhanced Foundation.

He used his legal acumen to help spur their growth, said his son, Robert G. Jr.

Once he joined the residents at Attleboro Village, he became their unofficial pro bono legal counsel, his son said.

He was a member and past president of the Frankford Lions Club, Jerusalem Masonic Lodge, the Scottish Rite, and LuLu Temple. He received Frankford High School's Alumni Pioneer Award for his service to the community.

Mr. Hess' devotion to community continued into his final year. He been a paperboy early in life, so he knew the importance of predictable home delivery. When he learned that apartment-bound residents in his retirement building weren't always getting their morning paper, he sorted and delivered 40 papers himself with the help of a walker.

"He began and ended his life as a paperboy," his son said.

Mr. Hess was married for 69 years to Alberta M. Davis Hess. The two were inseparable, their son said.

"She would continually accompany him on his many legal missions, whether it was serving divorce papers or to clients' homes to witness the signing of their wills," said the couple's son. "The only time Mr. Hess could be found apart from his wife was on the golf course and in the kitchen, where he exercised his talent as a culinary expert, preparing her dinner."

The couple shared a fondness for Walt Disney World, and especially Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Each winter, they visited Florida for three months.

In addition to his wife and son, he is survived by sons Bruce D. and Mark D.; daughter Susan L.; seven grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. Two grandsons died earlier.

A visitation beginning at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, April 28, will be followed by an 11 a.m. funeral service at Langhorne United Methodist Church, 301 E. Maple Ave., Langhorne, Pa. 19047. Interment is in Sunset Memorial Park, Trevose.

Memorial donations may be made to the Roof Fund of the church at the address above.

bcook@phillynews.com

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