Thomas Hess

Thomas Dolan Hess was born on January 11, 1948, in Sacramento, California, and passed away on January 6, 2026, in La Jolla, California.

Tom is survived by his two children, Bentley and Barron, and his best friend and former spouse, Jeannie Hess, the mother of his children.

Upon graduating from high school, Tom's father asked him what he wanted as a graduation gift. Tom's answer captured the adventurous spirit that would define his life: "Dad, I want a one-way ticket out of here." That ticket took him from Sacramento to the island of Kauai, where he spent his days teaching water skiing on the Wailua River and his nights performing as a lounge singer in Poipu. The adventure had begun.

Tom was later drafted into the U.S. Army and served in Vietnam. After returning home, he moved to Los Angeles and attended the University of Southern California. In time, he took over his father's engineering business, where he built a distinguished career. Over many years, Tom secured multiple government contracts and helped construct major infrastructure projects throughout California, including the 73 Toll Road in Orange County. His professional life reflected discipline, dedication, and focus.

Adventure, however, remained at the heart of who Tom was. He loved speed and had a lifelong passion for aviation, motorcycles, and exotic sports cars. In the 1980s, Tom and Jeannie founded Hess Racing, an IndyCar race team. Their proudest achievement came in 1985, when their Cosworth-powered Lola finished 12th at the Indianapolis 500 with Derek Daly behind the wheel.

In 1995, Tom helped fund an ambitious mission deep into the Arctic Circle. An elite team was assembled to locate, repair, and fly out a stranded B-29 bomber that had been abandoned and frozen in the tundra for decades. This extraordinary effort was documented in a film titled "Frozen in Time".

Despite his remarkable adventures and achievements, Tom's greatest pride and joy was being a father. He was deeply loved for his generosity, his big heart, and his unwavering presence for the people he cared about. He loved sports, with baseball being his favorite, and he was an avid fan of the Padres. He enjoyed traveling, with his favorite destinations being Hawaii, Lake Tahoe, and Italy, where we visited yearly. Tom lived fully, gave freely, and left a lasting impression on everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.

A memorial service will be held at Miramar National Cemetery, 5795 Nobel Drive, San Diego, CA 92122, on Friday, February 6, at 3:30 p.m.