Garland Burke Hess

Honaker, VA- Burke Hess, age 90, went to be with the Lord, Monday April 24, 2023.  Burke was born March 14, 1933, in Russell County, VA to the late Beverly Hess and the late Josie Owens Hess.  He was retired from Norfolk Southern Railroad with thirty-four years of service and was the former pastor of Gent’s Chapel Freewill Baptist Church for fifteen years. Burke was a veteran of the United States Army having served in Korea.

Besides his parents he is also preceded in death by his wife of sixty-nine years, Virginia Frances Hess; sons, Willard Dean Hess and Michael Foster Hess; daughter-in-law, Sharon Fields Hess; sisters, Ethel Mae Lister, Mary Frances Taylor, Tella Sue Dasher, and Bertha Lee Taylor.

Burke is survived by his daughter, Deanna “Pheebe” Rowe and husband, Chris; son, Sammy Hess; sisters, Ruba Slate, Gladys Pearl May and husband, Bill, and Ruth Hale; brothers, Curtis Hess, Earl Gene Hess, and Charlie Hess; grandchildren, Sam Hess and wife, Vickie, Jason Rowe and wife, Brianna, and Justin Rowe and wife, Amanda; Amanda McGlothlin and husband, Brian, Adam Hess and wife, Jessica, Aaron Hess and wife, Brittney, Alania Sykes and husband, Daniel; great-grandchild, Macie Wallace and husband, Connor and expected great-grandson, Carson Rowe, several other great-grandchildren; sister-in-law, Charlotte Hensley and husband, Bill; daughter-in-law, Cathy Hess; several nieces and nephews also survive.

Special thank you to nieces Audrey Key and Debbie Dangerfield.

The funeral service will be conducted at 2:00 pm Wednesday April 26, 2023, in the Ketron Memorial Gardens Mausoleum with the Rev. Bill Hensley officiating. The family will receive friends from 1-2 pm prior to the funeral service. Honorary pallbearers will be grandsons.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Wounded Warrior Project.

Expressions of sympathy may be made on Combs-Hess Funeral Service Facebook page and our website at www.chfunerals.com. Combs-Hess Funeral Service, 291 Highway 71 Fincastle Road, Lebanon, VA 24266, (276)889-4444 is serving the Hess family.