Hans "Jack" HESSLER

HESSLER, Hans ""Jack"" With heavy hearts, the family announces Jack passed away at home, in Cambridge, on Monday, December 24, 2018 at the age of 91. Beloved husband of Mary Lou (Fanning) for 58 years, loving father of daughters Anne Starr (Clifford) of Paris, France, and Stephanie of Concord, Massachusetts, and sons Chris of Boston, Massachusetts and Jackson, Wyoming, and David (Tatiana) of Nendaz, Switzerland. He will be lovingly remembered by grandchildren Paul Schubert, Philip Hessler, Brolin Mawejje, Thomas Schubert, Jack Hessler, Jimmy Hessler, Peter Starr, Nikki Hessler, Katja Hessler, Lisa Hessler and Alec Hessler. Born in Hamburg, Germany, Jack immigrated to the United States in 1950 to assist in the opening of Germany's largest grain import/export company, Alfred C. Toepfer in New York City. He was drafted into the U.S. Army and became a member of the U.S. Military Intelligence Service after graduating from the U.S. Army Language School in Monterey, California, as a triple linguist and was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. After his discharge in 1954, he was hired by Cargill, Inc. of Minneapolis, Minnesota, a global grain trading and agricultural commodities processing firm. During his 35-year career, he served in nine countries on four continents and was continually motivated by his worldwide assignments. He was nominated a Director of Cargill's European operation in The Netherlands in 1983 and served as Chairman of the Board of Cargill's operations on the subcontinent. From 1998 to 2006, he served as President of the Alexander Von Humboldt Foundation, a German American organization under the auspices of Johns Hopkins University and the University of Wisconsin. His personal passion was agriculture. He and his wife purchased a 250-acre farm in Branchton in 1971 where they lived from 1989 to 2013. He became a land developer and developed some 200 building lots around Cambridge between 1990 and 2005. He was a family man first and a friend to everyone. His work ethic, integrity and gift for telling stories about his life and travels were a source of inspiration to family and friends. During his lifetime Jack Hessler planted many trees, probably 5,000 in total including on his farm in Branchton. He loved animals, trees, nature and wildlife. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to The Royal Canadian Geographical Society. A private celebration will take place at a later date. Please visit www.tlittlefuneralhome.com to read Jack's complete obituary.