Roger Milton Hess

February 9, 1954 ~ March 1, 2015

Roger Milton Hess, 61, Sioux Falls, died Sunday, March 1, 2015 at the Dougherty Hospice Home in Sioux Falls. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor (glioblastoma), in September of 2014.

A Gathering of Remembrance for Roger Will be at 2PM on Saturday June 6th at the Dell Rapids Rocky Run Golf Course clubhouse.There will be a sharing time at 2:30 Refreshments will be served and Family present from 2 to 4.

In keeping with Roger’s wishes, no funeral or memorial services will be held. A date and location will be announced in the future for a gathering of remembrance and ceremonial scattering of ashes at one of his and Bob’s favorite local hiking areas. Please refer to Heartland’s web site for future updates.
Roger was born in Dell Rapids, SD to Kermitt and Evelyn (Johnston) Hess on February 9, 1954. He grew up on a farm near Dell Rapids and attended Dell Rapids public schools. He attended South Dakota State University and the University of South Dakota, majoring in psychology.

Roger worked in South Dakota for McKennan Behavioral Health, SD Human Services Center, Sioux Vocational Services (Achieve) and Chuck Poppen at Home Cinema Network. He joined A. C. Nielsen in Sioux Falls, later relocating with Nielsen to Colorado, New York and finally to Shelton Connecticut where he was a Project Manager and Operations Analyst. Illness forced him to leave the then Nielsen Media Researching in 1998.

In 2011, Roger moved back to South Dakota to be with his sister Bonnie and brother in law John. He was accompanied by his finicky, toothless, wineglass tipping cat B&E.

The things Roger loved most include:

• Hiking and backpacking in the mountains and on trails usually with his dog and longtime companion Bob. The above photo shows Roger and Bob on one of their hiking outings. More photos, including more recent, can be seen at Roger’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/roger.m.hess .
• Music, especially Pink Floyd.
• Animals, dogs, cats, farm animals, hamsters, gerbils, and guinea pigs. When the stray cat B&E (short for Breaking and Entering) wandered into his garage in Derby CT, he worked several weeks gaining her trust until she finally became devoted to Roger.
• He enjoyed problem solving, science, science fiction, and discussing and debating politics and current events.
• Roger was concerned about climate change and what it would mean for the future of the human race.
• Roger was an avid fan of the University of Connecticut Women’s Basketball team. “Go Huskies”
As Roger often said; “Never stop learning and always think for yourself.”

Roger was stricken with an insidious condition known as chronic fatigue syndrome in the late 1990s. As the disease progressed, he was no longer able to work or do many of the activities he enjoyed.

Roger and Diana E. Snow were married in October 1990 at Port Washington NY. They divorced on 1997.

Roger was loved and will be missed by his sister, Bonnie (John-honorary brother) Nelson, of Sioux Falls; niece, Sara Bennetts (John) and grand-nephew Jamie of Stuttgart, Germany; cousin, Lyle (Tracy) Nelson, of Austin TX; other cousins, friends in South Dakota and Connecticut, including another honorary brother, John Uva; and ex-wife, Diana Hess, of Tucson, AZ.

Roger was preceded in death by his parents and his dog Bob.

Roger was and his family is grateful for:

• Dr. Wilde and the nurses, and staff at Falls Community Health.
• The doctors, nurses and staff at the McKennan Emergency Department
• Doctors Tynan, Huber, and Simon at Avera McKennan and the Prairie Center Cancer Institute, and the nurses and staff there.
• The wonderful nurses, chaplain, social worker, techs, staff, and volunteers at the Dougherty Hospice House.

Memorials may be directed to the:

Dougherty Hospice House
4509 Prince of Peace Place
PO Box 5045
Sioux Falls, SD 57117-5045

Share this post: