Russell James Hess Jr.

Russell James Hess, Jr, was born June 20, 1996, in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, the son of Russell Hess, Sr., and Kristen (Unruh) Hess. He passed from this life December 9, 2022 in Cedar Park, Texas at the age of 26. Russell had lived in Texas for the past 18 years. He was a 2014 graduate of Cedar Park High School and a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. Russell was attending the Art Institute of Austin with the goal of creating his own video games, something he had been passionate about since childhood. Russell enjoyed many artistic pursuits – graphic design, animation, creating stories and building worlds; not just for video games, but for role playing games like Dungeons and Dragons. He was rarely seen without a book in hand, be it a new novel or manga he was reading or his journal of ideas for new stories or characters. Like his parents and sister, he always enjoyed seeing movies with friends and family, and subsequently inserting movie lines into every conversation and joke he could.

Russell loved comic books and superheroes from a very early age, and these symbols of heroism and justice resonated with him. Through his life, he was incredibly in tune with protecting others and putting the greater good ahead of himself. He was in all facets of his life the kindest and gentlest soul you’d ever meet.

Russell was preceded in death by his grandfathers, Robert George Unruh, Sr., William Gene Hess, Sr., and W. Michael Bessinger.

He is survived by his parents, Russell Sr., and Kristen Hess; sister, Dr. Alyssa White and husband Dustin; niece, Juniper Autumn White; maternal grandmother, Eileen Pletcher and husband Gary; Paternal Grandmother, Barbara Bessinger; cousin, Anthony Georeno, and a host of aunts, uncles, cousins and friends who are family.

Visitation will be held Monday, December 19, 2022 from 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home, 1200 S Bagdad Road, Leander, Texas. Celebration of Life services will follow at 2:00 pm.