Gregory D. Hess Obituary
Gregory D. Hess, of Oregon City died peacefully at his home from a sudden reoccurrence of cancer Dec. 17, 2017, at the age of 68. He was born in Wheeling, W.Va., Feb. 19, 1949, the son of Jack Hess and Alice Whiteley. He was also the stepson of Robert McCoy of Wheeling. He graduated from Triadelphia High School in Wheeling in 1968 and attended Marshall University, after which he moved to Washington, D.C., and became a member of the Metropolitan Police Department.
He moved to Oregon in 1970 and completed flight training to become a certified airline pilot. He flew for private clients and corporations in the Northwest for a number of years and was a bush pilot in Alaska. He also met and married Linda Hayes, whose young children, Matt and Heather, became an important part of his life.
He joined Horizon Airlines in 1984 and flew for the company until his retirement in 2008. During this time he became captain and chief pilot for Horizon and was also a CR-J captain. Greg was an avid outdoorsman and spent much time in his RV with Linda going on fishing and camping trips around the Northwest. His golden retrievers were a much-loved part of his family -- Woody, Honey and Mason, Jack and Molly (RIP) and current dogs Weston and Dickie.
He was predeceased by his parents, Jack Hess and Alice Whiteley; and his stepfather, Robert McCoy. He is survived by his wife, Linda; daughter, Heather Hayes and her partner, Vince Bolster of Portland, and their two boys, Elliot Gregory and Leo George; and son, Matthew Hayes of Nantucket. He is also survived by his sisters, Sally Hess Helms and husband, Ned of Concord, N.H., and Ann McCoy McCormick and husband, Bill of Washington, Pa.; his brother, John McCoy and wife, Robin of Dover, Del.; three cousins and several nieces and nephews, who will never forget the stories about Uncle Greg catching and devouring moths on his back porch, eating a petunia from a centerpiece at a family dinner, and shooting a mouse in his sock drawer on his first date with Linda.
In addition to family, Greg is survived by his many friends in Oregon, especially those with whom he gathered most Fridays and Sundays at Ranée's bar and grill near his home in Oregon City.
