Dr. V. Hess

Carroll V. Hess, 95, of Topeka, Kansas, passed away Friday, August 17, 2018.

Carroll was born January 14, 1923 in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, son of Herman and Iva (Kipe) Hess. He grew up on a 96 acre farm in the Pennsylvania Dutch country. Carroll was child number seven in a large and loving family of nine boys and four girls. His father "Pop" was a highly organized and hardworking father who earned a very good living for a large family. "Hessie", his mother, often managed the boys on the farm, and kept house with great help from the girls. There's no other way to explain how having a family of 13, on a small farm during the Depression, could have enjoyed such a blessed life. Carroll often spoke of his great fortune to be born into a loving, Christian and disciplined family as a rare privilege.

Carroll entered Penn State in 1940, with the help of a $100 Sears and Roebuck scholarship. He graduated with honors from Penn State University with a Bachelors of Science degree. He continued with a Masters of Science degree at Iowa State University in 1948. He returned to Penn State, as an instructor for one year 1948-49, taking Velma Boal as his loving bride September 11, 1949. He received his Doctor of Philosophy degree from Iowa State. He then returned to Penn State as an Assistant Professor in 1950-54. Carroll continued with successive professorships at Southern Illinois University, Cornell University, and University of Minnesota 1954-66.

While at the University of Minnesota, Carroll received many teaching awards. His pinnacle achievement was the Undergraduate Teacher Award, awarded by the American Agricultural Emeritus Association in 1965.

Carroll's most rewarding and challenging responsibility was when he was appointed Dean of the College of Agriculture at Kansas State University in 1966. During his tenure, he served abroad for four years in the Middle East (Oman) and two years in the Philippines for the U.S. Agency of International Development. He retired from Kansas State University in 1988.

Carroll was the first recipient of the Penn State College of Agriculture Distinguished Alumni award in 1980 and was listed in the Who's Who of the Midwest from the American Education Associateship.
He was an active member of The First Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, Kansas for many years. He was a member of the Manhattan Rotary and achieved an honorary lifetime membership award for his dedicated years of service.

He served in the US Air Force from 1943 to 1946.

Carroll greatly cherished time spent with his family. Activities included boating and camping with his children and grandchildren. He and his "beautiful bride" Velma of 68 years, enjoyed travel here and abroad. He was an avid game hunter with trips to Africa and South America with his brother Roy.

Carroll was preceded in death by his daughter, LuAnn Hess, his parents, and eleven siblings.
Carroll is survived by his wife Velma; his children, John Hess, Topeka, KS, Debra Milne (Charlie), Castle Rock, CO and Cheryl Creviston (Jamie), Auburn, KS; four grandchildren, Brianne Hyder (Zach), Ashley Walters, Lindsay McCrite (Cassidy) and James Creviston III; three great-grandchildren, Callum, Quinn, and Parker Hyder; and his sister Lois Heintzelman.

A funeral ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, August 23, 2018 at Dove Cremations and Funerals, Southwest Chapel, 3700 SW Wanamaker Rd, Topeka. A reception will follow the ceremony. Burial will be at Ringgold Cemetery, Ringgold, MD. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to NAMI Kansas (National Alliance on Mental Health), 610 SW 10th Ave #203, Topeka, KS 66612.

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