Steven Charles Hess

Steve was born on September 20, 1948 in Lansing, MI to C.J. and Dorothy (Dalton) Hess. He attended Monsignor Gabriels High School -- now Lansing Catholic -- where he played basketball, football, and participated in school musicals. He was an “end” (wide receiver) on the Shamrocks’ undefeated 1965 football team, and he was proud when he and the other members of that team were later inducted into the Greater Lansing Sports Hall of Fame.

Steve attended Michigan State University, where he was a member of the Honors College and also active in the campus anti-war movement during the late 1960s (“throw that peace sign in the sky, it will do you no harm!”). He loved MSU and was a lifelong Spartan fan. While at MSU, Steve also met the love of his life, Karen. They were married for 50 years.

After MSU, Steve attended Harvard Law School. After graduating in 1973, he and Karen moved to East Lansing and purchased an 1880s era farm house where they remained for 45 years. After nearly a decade in private legal practice, Steve joined Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Michigan in 1985, where he eventually rose to Senior Vice President & General Counsel. And although his job was based in Detroit, Steve’s family was firmly entrenched in East Lansing -- so he made the incredible sacrifice of driving 160 miles round-trip almost every working day for nearly 20 years. It helped that he enjoyed driving (he jokingly referred to himself as the “million mile man”), and his early adoption of mobile phone technology (read: bag phone) and his bottomless appetite for “books on tape” helped him pass the time. His audio book preference was non-fiction, specifically military history. Lansing Public Library records likely indicate that many of the books that he listened to have not been checked out since (or prior).

For the final 8 years of his career, Steve served as Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary at the Accident Fund Insurance Company of America, a Blue Cross subsidiary located in Lansing.

Steve’s professional success was an indication of his prodigious intellect and the kind, supportive way that he treated colleagues. But his career did not define him. Steve’s singular passion in life was his family, particularly his 4 children. He was ever-present, always encouraging, incredibly wise, and a trusted confidante. He never missed a ball game or an important school event. And his kids never made a big decision without first talking it through with Dad. The core values that he instilled in them and their memories of being so fully loved and supported by him will never fade. Steve was also a proud and hands-on grandfather to 8 grandchildren who knew him affectionately as “Gigi.” He was never above changing diapers or rolling around with them on the floor, and he’ll be remembered as a world-class baby snuggler.

No tribute to Steve could ever be complete without acknowledging his wife, Karen. Their marriage was a shining example of partnership and love. While not an overly emotional person, Steve’s respect and love for Karen was clearly evident. The first thing he did every evening after walking through the back door was to seek her out for a kiss. Karen has always been the glue that has held the Hess family together. But her care and selfless devotion to Steve over these past two and a half years have been remarkable. She was an incredible partner and we know that Steve appreciated and loved her very much.

Steve was a kind, humble, intelligent, and loving husband, father, grandfather, and friend. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Karen; children Maggie, Andy (Lindsay), Ben (Taylor), and Dan (Kay); grandchildren Evelyn, William, Lauren, Steven, Grayson, Natalie, Charlie, Colin, and Ben & Taylor’s identical twin girls who are due in April; and siblings Diane, Dick (Mary), and Tom. He is preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Carol.

Steve’s son, Dan, wrote a haiku for him as a father’s day present many years ago. It was later printed onto a warm blanket that now hangs as a decoration in Steve’s cherished cabin in the Upper Peninsula. It reads:

“To a man who is

So many different things

But puts ‘father’ first.”

We love you, Dad.