George Taylor Hess, JD, 99, of Prairie Village, KS (formerly of Leawood) died June 12, 2025 at Claridge Court retirement community.  Taylor was born July 23, 1925 in Uniontown, PA to George Hibbs Hess, MD and Marguerite Taylor Hess. 

Taylor graduated salutatorian from Uniontown High School (1943).  During summers he went to Culver Naval Summer School (1940-42). 

He enrolled in Harvard in 1943, but was drafted into the army in 1944.  Taylor served in the U.S. Army as a medic in the 84^th Field Artillery Battalion. The unit pushed tanks back from Belgium to Czechoslovakia.  When World War II ended, he joined the Army Men’s Chorus in Regensburg and the Army sent him to the University of London School of Economics and Political Science. 

He returned to Harvard in 1946 and graduated in 1949 (Class of 1947). He participated in the Harvard Glee Club and was coxswain for Harvard’s rowing team. During his time at Harvard, he attended Church of the Covenant (Boston) where he met his future wife, Margaret Jane Kirkpatrick.  Jane and Taylor were married in 1952 at a double ceremony in Butler, PA with Jane’s brother, Richard, and her Pittsburgh roommate Dorothy Yount.

Taylor attended the University of Pennsylvania Law School (Class of 1953) and opened his own practice in Uniontown until 1960 when he became Corporate Secretary and General Counsel for Susquehanna Broadcasting and other Appell family corporations in York, PA.  In 1969, he took a job as Assistant General Counsel for United Telecom Inc. (which later became Sprint), moved the family to Leawood, KS, and remained with United Telecom/Sprint until he retired in 1983.

Taylor and Jane were very active in Village Presbyterian Church. He served on the session and as a member Presbytery.  He was also heavily involved in Rotary Club and Bar Association activities.  He was an all-around energizer bunny who was gregarious and had a wonderful sense of humor.  He loved to travel and cruise, to meet and talk with people, to sing at church and to tell jokes – even if they weren’t all that funny.  He will be missed by all who knew him and fondly remembered for his bow tie and the constant presence of his camera.

He is preceded in death by his parents, wife Jane, sister Marguerite Morris (Garland), brother Robert (Mickie), and brothers-in-law John Kirkpatrick (Mary) and Richard Kirkpatrick (Dorothy).

Taylor is survived by his 4 children: Paul Hess (Nina Kopach), George Hess (Cathy), John  Hess (Angela), and Margaret Hess.  He is also survived by grandchildren Sara Hess (Drew Schad), Amanda Hess (Jenny Sorich), G. Andrew Hess (Sarah), Emilie Cox (Josiah), Daniel Hess (Alison), Victoria Dobson-Hess (James), Gwendoline Gregg, and Ellazan Gregg as well as 8 great grandchildren.

His celebration of life will be 3 PM on July 19, 2025 at Village Presbyterian Church.  In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Endowment Trust of Village Presbyterian Church, 6641 Mission Road, Prairie Village, KS 66208.