George Alfred Hero III

George Alfred Hero III was born June 22, 1928 in New Orleans, the only child to George A. Hero Jr. and Madeline Conway. Except for a few cold winters up north, he lived his entire life in Plaquemines Parish next to the home he grew up in and worked in New Orleans. He passed away peacefully at Poydras Home on August 16, 2024 at the age of 96.

He graduated Jesuit High School in 1945 and earned an Electrical Engineering degree from Tulane University in 1949. After graduation, he worked for General Electric Co. where he was assigned to the U.S. Army Project Hermes. He worked under German engineers, Stuhlinger, Hoberg, and van Braun, modifying and doing research using V-2 rockets captured from the Nazis. He was assigned to several missile launches at Alamogordo, New Mexico. He moved to the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama with the group before it became NASA. Next, he was assigned to the GE missile guidance group in Schenectady NY, but after freezing in New York, he returned to New Orleans in 1952 to work with his father and uncle running Comfortair Company. Their specialty was installing some of the first air-conditioning in New Orleans’ most historic buildings, including St. Louis Cathedral.

He enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve in 1947 and served for 33 years, retiring in 1980 at the rank of Captain. He was the Commanding Officer of several units at the Naval Air Station in Belle Chasse, including the Operation Control Center which was responsible for Russian submarine monitoring during the Cold War.

From the 1980s until his retirement at the age of 90, Mr. Hero was recognized for his expertise in forensic engineering. He investigated hundreds of fires in New Orleans and beyond to determine the cause. He was respected in the legal community as an expert witness in the field.

George Hero loved New Orleans, its people and its history. He sought to preserve and chronicle his own family history as well as the history of his beloved home. He served on the board of the Louisiana State Museum and was active in the Rotary Club, Habitat for Humanity, and numerous professional and social organizations, including president and honorary member of the Pickwick Club. He was active in the Catholic Church as a lay leader and Eucharistic minister. He and his wife, Danella, built the first Catholic school in Belle Chasse, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and battled Judge Leander Perez during segregation in the 60s. Mr. Hero was the president of Hero Lands, a family-owned land development company with holdings on the West Bank in Plaquemines Parish and Orleans Parish.

While George was busy in his professional life, he was also a devoted and loving husband to his late wife, Danella Primeaux Hero, for 60 years. On the occasion of their 60th wedding anniversary, the couple was asked their secret for longevity. With a twinkle in his eye George said, “She is always right.” To which Danella replied, “He is correct.”

Together they raised five children, George A. Hero IV (Elaine Boos), Chris Hero (Dorothy Steinicke), Danella Hero Halle (Michael Halle), Anna O. Hero (Ernest Dragon), and Eugenie Hero Jaffe (Micheal Jaffe). He is also the beloved grandfather to nine grandchildren, Megan Hero Sheat, Emily Hero, Madeline Hero, David Halle, Sam Halle, Jacob Halle, Andrea Dragon, Jack Jaffe and Lily Jaffe) and one great grandson. After the passing of his wife Danella in 2015, George enjoyed a second chapter in love rekindling a relationship with Clare Bonin Katner who he had met more than 70 years ago (before Danella) while the two were members of the St. Louis Cathedral Choir. Clare and George enjoyed the symphony, movies, dinners and comparing stories of their respective children.

George was very proud of his family and often beamed while saying, “I have such a nice family and they all like each other.” He believed it was an essential duty to keep family bonds strong and he was the anchor of the Hero family - planning reunions, sending genealogy updates and keeping up with his large network of cousins and relatives. He was quick with a smile and enjoyed a good joke. He loved science and engineering and was happiest when he had a project, from fixing broken clocks to building computers to repairing lawn mower engines. He had a knack of being able to mend his physical surroundings with ease.

A true New Orleans gentleman, George Hero III will be remembered as a kind man with a generous heart, strong faith in God and willingness to give his time and energy to others freely, without hesitation.

The Hero family thanks the staff and nurses of Poydras Home for giving George such loving care for the last two years and in his final days.

Funeral services are Wednesday, August 21, 2024 at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home. Visitation from Noon - 2pm, Funeral Mass at 2pm, Burial following Mass approximately 3pm.