O. Diane Hess

Oleta Diane Hess, 69, of East Pharsalia, passed away unexpectedly in Pennsylvania on November 20, 2015, with family by her side.

Born on January 7, 1946, in Ellisville, MS, Diane was the daughter of John C. and Minnie Lee (Edmonds) Williams. After completing high school, Diane attended Jones County Community College for two years, and began work at the college as a secretary soon thereafter. It was then that she went on a blind date with her future husband, Richard Hess, who was stationed in Pensacola, Fla during his service with the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War.

On January 14, 1967, in Laurel, MS, Diane and Richard were married.

After Richard completed his duty in Vietnam, Diane and Richard settled in the Norwich area. Diane worked first at Victory Markets before starting a career at Procter & Gamble. After P&G closed its Norwich operation she returned to Victory Markets until it too was closed. Diane then worked at NBT Bank as a customer service representative before her illness required her to stop working.

Diane loved her grandchildren. She enjoyed reading books, and was very fond of tending to her garden of flowers. She also adored animals.

In addition to her husband, Diane is survived by her loving husband of 48 years, Richard Hess. She is also survived by daughter Stacie Sirois, and her husband James, of Saratoga; son Chris Hess, of McDonough; grandchildren Keith Fink, Austin and Jasmine Sirois, and Emma and Rudy Hess; and siblings John Williams, of Memphis, TN, and Edward Williams, of Ellisville, MS. She was predeceased by her brother Elvis Williams.

A memorial service for Diane will be held at the Wilson Funeral Home at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 5, 2015, with Rev. Amy Rogers officiating. Friends are invited to call at the funeral home from 11:00 a.m. until the time of the service.

The family would like to especially thank all who helped us through this difficult time. Thoughts of her and prayers sent her way have been greatly appreciated.

Contributions in Diane’s memory may be made to the Danielle House, 160 Riverside Drive, Binghamton, NY 13905.