Walter Jerome Hester

Walter J. Hester of Snellville, GA, and formerly of Syracuse, NY, passed away in the company of his family on Christmas Eve. Walter was born in Syracuse on March 2, 1920. He was 95 years old at the time of his passing. Mr. Hester was preceded in death by his beloved wife Marian, to whom he was married for 61 years. He now joins his wife, his parents, Louis and Mary Hester, and his brothers Louis, Donald, and John Hester in the Kingdom of God. He is survived by his son, Steven, and his wife, Ann, and their children Jenny Wilson and Stephen and Janie Hester of Atlanta, Georgia. Mr. Hester was a veteran of World War II having served in the U.S. Army Air Corp’s 6th Air Force. After his discharge from the military, he and his brothers Louis and Donald started Hester Brothers Painting Company in 1948 and operated their business for approximately 38 years. After he and his brothers retired from their business, Mr. Hester became a consultant and worked with his good friends Andy Pollastro and Carlo Pastore of Triple P Painting Company of Syracuse until he was 90 years of age. After the death of his wife in 2010, Mr. Hester moved to Snellville, GA, to be closer to his son and his family. Mr. Hester lived in Snellville for approximately four years before his passing. Mr. Hester attended St. John the Evangelist Elementary and High School on Syracuse’s north side. He was a communicant of St. James Church located in the Valley section of Syracuse for 56 years before moving to Georgia. He was a lifetime member of the Pastimes Athletic Club and was an avid bowler and golfer. During World War II, Mr. Hester saw a good deal of the world from Jacksonville, FL, to Panama, to the South Pacific, and even the skies over Japan; but to him the most beautiful spot he had ever been was upstate New York. Now he will be coming home to his beloved Syracuse to be laid to rest with his wife for his eternal sleep. He will be missed by all who knew and loved him and will never be forgotten. Calling hours will be Wednesday, December 30, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Ballweg & Lunsford Funeral Home, 4612 S. Salina Street, Syracuse. A mass of Christian burial will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, December 31, at St. James Church, 4845 S. Salina Street, Syracuse, with a burial to follow in Onondaga County Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery. Donations can be made to the American Heart Association. To express sympathy, please visit www.ballweg-lunsford.com

Walter Jerome Hester

March 20, 1920 - December 24, 2015