Obituary Clair Hess went to be with Christ, his Lord and Savior, on Wednesday, March 20, 2019. He is lovingly remembered by his wife Frances (Schum) Hess, and his three daughters: Rebecca, Kathy (Chuck) Kunkle, and Cindy (Tom) Kasper. His grandchildren include: Jeff (Angela) Kunkle, Heidi (Jeff) Frazee, Nathan (Stacie) Kunkle, Rosemary (Russell) Yardley, Scott Kasper, Tanya (David) Nason, and many great-grandchildren.
Clair was preceded in death by his first wife, Dorothy (Dierking) Hess, his parents, and his brothers: Arthur, Lester, and Ken Hess. On October 17, 1923, Clair was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, to Abram M. Hess and his wife, Esther. He attended Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, and after graduation served regularly as a singer and scriptwriter on radio station WMBI.
It was there that the Melody Four Quartet was formed. Clair sang first tenor in the quartet, and the group traveled widely in the United States, Canada, and Europe. He also was an original member of the 16 Singing Men.
Ordained to the ministry in 1955, Clair served as assistant pastor and minister of music at churches in Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, California, and Michigan. He was the choir director for Calvary Church in Grand Rapids for a number of years, as well as several other churches in the area. Clair was the senior editor for the devotional booklet Our Daily Bread and other publications; he also composed many poems for Our Daily Bread.
Clair participated as a soloist, member of the quartet, and ensemble member on the Radio Bible Class program and on the Day of Discovery television program. Clair’s autobiography, “Intersections,” was published in 2003. A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, April 6, 2:00 pm, at Calvary Church on East Beltline.
There will be a one-hour visitation before the service begins. Following the service, refreshments will be served and family will be available to greet friends. A private committal service has already been held.
Memorial contributions would be welcome for the ministry of Clair’s granddaughter Heidi and family who serve in Africa with World Venture, 20 Inverness Place E., Englewood, CO, 80112-5622 (#4000-034-Frazee, Jeff and Heidi). To send flowers to the family of Abram Clair Hess, please visit Tribute Store. Events Apr6 Visitation Saturday, April 06, 2019, 1:00PM – 2:00PM Calvary Church 707 East Beltline Ave.
NE Grand Rapids, MI 49525 Get directions View MapTextEmail Order flowers for Abram’s Visitation. Guaranteed delivery before Abram’s Visitation begins. Apr6 Service Saturday, April 06, 2019, 2:00PM Calvary Church 707 East Beltline Ave.
NE Grand Rapids, MI 49525 Get directions View MapTextEmail Order flowers for Abram’s Service. Guaranteed delivery before Abram’s Service begins.
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