William A. "Bill" Hess (85) of Mason

William A. “Bill” Hess, 85, of Mason, IL, passed away on Friday, August 3, 2018 at Lavender Ridge in Effingham surrounded by family.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, August 7 at St. Mary Help of Christians Catholic Church in Green Creek, Effingham with burial in the church cemetery with military rites. Visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday at Johnson Funeral Home in Effingham. Memorials may be made to St. Mary Help of Christians Catholic Church. Online condolences may be shared by clicking here.

Bill was born on April 19, 1933, in Effingham, IL, the son of William J. and Nellie (Ashton) Hess. He was united in marriage to Lucille Nuxoll and to this union five children were born: Nellie, Pat, David, Steve, and William “Willy”. She preceded him in death and he later married Barbara Ellis on July 30, 1971, and she preceded him in death on October 13, 2014. Bill was a veteran of the United States Army. He retired as an engineer for the State of Illinois Highway Department. He was a member of St. Anne Catholic Church in Edgewood. Bill was a life-long builder. He built homes, boats, cabinets, furniture, and everything in between. Bill was also an avid camper and fisherman.

Bill is survived by children, Beverly (Wayne) Bower, Nellie Hess Riffel, Pat (Tommy) Long, David (Beverley) Hess, Steve (Penny) Hess, and William “Willy” Hess; brothers, Richard Hess, John Hess, and Greg (Mary) Hess; sister, Mary Jane (Kevin) Bullard; and a wonderful group of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, one of which was born July 23, 2018, who carries the name, Everett “William” Storm.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Nellie; father and stepmother, Bill and Alma Hess; first wife, Lucille; second wife, Barb; stepson, Terry Bailey; granddaughter, Lily Ann Sutter; step-grandson, Christopher Long; and son-in-law, Greg Riffel.

The family would like to express gratitude to the wonderful caregivers at Lavender Ridge.