Dr. Charles Frank Hess passed away on July 31, 2017. He was 86 years old. Charles was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands on March 21st, 1931.
He survived the Holocaust and post war uncertainty; and, at the age of 18, emigrated to the U.S. Once in the U.S., he joined the Army; and, upon completing his service, he entered university and earned his BS, MS and PHD in Geography from Michigan State Honors College. He was a Fulbright Fellow, Woodrow Wilson Fellow, and National Science Foundation Cooperative Fellow.
He was a professor of Earth Science, Geography and Urban Planning at Temple, University of Wyoming and his last post was Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville (SIUE) where he taught from 1970 to 1994. His focus as a professor was to teach students to think critically, question conventional wisdom and become lifelong learners.
He is survived by his sister, Yvonne Vecht, who resides in the Netherlands, two loving sons Erik (Kristie Hartenstein Hess) and Jens and three grandchildren, Allison, Nicholas and Blue.
Charles was an avid reader and lifelong learner. He had an extensive knowledge of any period of world history, natural science and current events. He was an avid wood worker and enjoyed many years sailing on Lake Carlyle.