James Hester Obituary

James Clifton Hester, known to his family and friends as Cruz, passed away on January 7, 2025, surrounded by his family. He was born December 8, 1948, to Clifton and Ruby Hester in Stephens, Arkansas. He moved to Utah at the young age of two.
He accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, he attended New Zion Baptist Church. He graduated from Ogden High School and went on to attend Weber State College and Utah State University where he played basketball.
James married his loving wife Beverley in June of 1982 and together they had two daughters.
James was the first black newspaper carrier at the age of 12 and then went on to be the first black EMT Firefighter for Weber County. He worked there for 12 years. He later worked at Morton Thiokol in the space program as an engineer and retired in 1993.
He enjoyed gardening, playing dominos, cooking, watching sports and collecting antiques and sports memorabilia.
James is survived by his beautiful wife Beverley Hester, his daughters Aleisha Palao, and LaRhonda Moreland, all of Ogden, Utah. His brother Sami Hester of Bountiful, Utah, sisters Gail Hester (Brian) of Los Angeles. CA, Diane (Jerry) Lancaster of Virginia, Sharon (Eddie) Hilton of West Haven, UT and Reniece Hester (Kenny) of North Ogden, UT. 7 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews and cousins.
He is preceded in death by his father Clifton Hester, mother Ruby Hester, Sister Wilma Hester, nephews Jeffrey Washington, and Lance Clary and special family member Holbert Reeves.
The family would like to give thanks to Symbii healthcare and a special thanks to his nurse Jamie.
FAMILY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
On behalf of James' family, they wish to acknowledge, with sincere appreciation, the many comforting messages and other expressions of kindness during their time of loss.