Stephen Charles "Steve" Hess

Stephen Charles "Steve" Hess Jr. passed away on Saturday, April 6, 2024, at the age of 75. He was born on October 2, 1948, in Baltimore Maryland. Steve graduated from Franklin High School in 1967 and went on to study marketing at Brandywine College in Delaware. Steve grew up in and around the family business of retail design and sales. At an early age Steve designed and hand built wood furniture which would later serve him throughout a long and successful career in the industry.

Steve started his career as a sales representative for Samsonite Furniture in 1978, and joined Winston Furniture Inc., in 1982. Steve's career at Winston grew as the company did and ultimately led him to Birmingham, Alabama. Over the span of almost two decades at Winston, Steve was credited with hundreds of designs, notably the award-winning "Magnolia Sling" dining chair that was nationally recognized in 1994.

He was involved in every facet of the business, ultimately rising to the position of Executive Vice President in 1993 and then becoming President and CEO in 1999. Steve was also a part of Winston Furniture's transition into a larger parent company, calling itself WinsLoew, where they acquired several companies such as Winston, Pompeii, Texacraft, and Loewenstein. Shortly after Steve was named President and CEO of Winston, he stepped into the role of Chief Marketing Officer for WinsLoew. Steve would go on to work in the industry in Sarasota, Florida, where he continued to design for a consult with major outdoor furniture companies in addition to designing for Windham Casting in Plains, GA after which he used his industry experience to serve as a consultant for various design companies.

In 2002, Steve married the love of his life, Ginger (Gay) Hess, in Macon, Georgia, where the two combined their professional experiences to form new retail design endeavors, notably designing and manufacturing a line of handbags. They established a retail presence in Macon known as Ginger Michelle. Steve and Ginger went on to create other businesses within the retail and design sector.

Steve will be remembered for his many of his design creations, which are still sold today, his love of golf, tennis, and the culinary arts. Steve will also be remembered as a devoted friend. Steve was a kind and caring husband, father, brother, grandfather, and uncle who had the ability to make a person feel genuinely cared for in his presence. From those who worked with him to those who simply crossed paths with him, Steve was the kind of friend that left a lasting impression.

Steve is survived by his wife, Ginger; daughter Stacy Flippen and her husband Jerry Flippen, of Birmingham, Alabama; son Stephen Hess III, of Birmingham Alabama, and daughter Martha Hess and her husband Brad Landrum, of Birmingham Alabama; five grandchildren Lily and Anna Claire Flippen, Charlie Hess, and Sawyer and Sadie Landrum; his sisters Elizabeth Hastings of Amelia Island Florida, Susan Honeycutt of Bradenton Florida, and his twin sister Martha (Muffy) Mitch of Chattanooga, Tennessee.

A celebration of life will be announced for friends and family in the weeks to come. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the UAB Pancreatobiliary Disease Center (http://uab.edu/medicine/pdc/give).

The Hess Family would also like to offer their deep gratitude to Regency SouthernCare Hospice Services and to Crystal Butts, his private caregiver.