Hester, Arthur C.

Arthur “Art” Cleveland Hester, age 79 of Overland Park, Kansas, passed away on February 27, 2022, in Palm Desert, California. Art was born in Columbus, Mississippi on March 5, 1942, to Evie Thompson and Kirby Henry. He moved to Chicago as a young boy and graduated from Marshall High School on the westside of Chicago in 1960. Conferred with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1965 from the United States Military Academy (USMA) in West Point, New York, Art was a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army and served two campaigns in the Vietnam War. Upon returning to the United States, Art earned a master’s degree in Finance from New York University and a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University. Art served at stations in Germany (FKA West Germany), South Korea, and Saudi Arabia as well as in the United States. He received several commendations including the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart. Colonel Hester was most proud of being an Airborne Ranger.

In 1981, Art retired from active duty, became a reservist in the Army, and pursued a new career with General Motors at the GM Fairfax Assembly Plant in Kansas City, Kansas. As Production Superintendent he was instrumental in the construction of the new Fairfax Plant. Art held the position of Plant Manager in the GM assembly plants in Tarrytown, New York, and Arlington, Texas. While at the Arlington plant, the Chevrolet Caprice Classic LTZ won the 1991 Motor Trend Car of the Year award. He concluded his career with GM at its headquarters in Detroit, Michigan in 1998. However, Art still had work to do; he was a founding partner of CHB, an engineering firm that performed calibration services for automotive related companies. Art also contracted with the Process Development Corporation as Program Manager providing technical support to automotive and manufacturing organizations in the United States and Mexico.

Art spent a great deal of time serving his church and giving back to his community. While living in Michigan, he was a member of Grosse Pointe Memorial Church, where he held numerous leadership positions. In 2011, Art and his wife Cinda relocated to Overland Park, Kansas and became members of The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection (COR). Driven by his desire to positively influence young people, he served several years in COR’s Partner Schools Ministry, mentoring and tutoring kids at Wheatley Elementary School. He also continued to help with recruiting efforts for West Point as a volunteer, which aligned with one of his earlier assignments as an Admissions Officer for USMA. For 30 years, Art evaluated and advised local academy candidates in the various places he lived, and recently served on the Academy Nominations Panel for Rep. Sharice Davids. He was instrumental in establishing the C. Robert Arvin Foundation, a tribute to his West Point classmate, which awarded over $100,000 in scholarships to outstanding high school students. Art also volunteered with Hope Builders and was active in NAACP.

Art was an avid reader, primarily of U.S. history, military history and military heroes. His free time was spent enjoying golf, spending time with his family, gardening, and watching Westerns and sports.

Art leaves behind his wife Cinda Hester of Overland Park, Kansas and his four children with his former wife, Mae Hester of Denver, Colorado: daughters, Zina Hester (Chris Dixon) of Macon, Georgia; Karen Hester of Denver, Colorado; Lisa White (Garrett) of Savannah, Georgia, and son, Arthur Hester, III (Kristi) of Palm Desert, California. Art also leaves behind seven grandsons, three granddaughters as well as his mother, Evie Thompson of Houston, Texas, his sister, Jeanne Fairman of Chicago, Illinois, a host of nieces and nephews, and other extended family members. He was preceded in death by his sister, Anne Hester, and stepfather, William Thompson.

Celebration of Life Services for Arthur C. Hester will be on May 25, 2022, at Wesley Covenant Chapel, 13720 Roe Ave, Leawood, Kansas, 66224 at 2pm with visitation prior to the service. The service will be streamed online for those who are unable to attend in person and can be accessed using this link: cor. org/memorialsonline

In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorial contributions to Church of the Resurrection (Partner Schools Ministry), Attn: Finance, 13720 Roe Ave., Leawood, KS 66224 or West Point Diversity and Inclusion Initiative addressed to Superintendent’s D&I Fund, Herbert Hall Bldg., ATTN: Gift Operations, West Point, NY 10996.

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