Judge Hester was born in McKeesport, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. He earned his bachelor’s from Duquesne University in 1943, then his law degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Hester began his career in politics, serving for eight years as a councilman in Glassport Borough. He moved onto private practice legal work while also serving as deputy attorney general and solicitor of several boroughs and school districts.
During his career, Judge Hester served on the Allegheny County Hospital Development Authority, Mercy Hospital’s Board of Trustees, and the Mercy Hospital Foundation. He was also the chairman of the Allegheny district chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and president of the Stephen Foster Community Center and the Catholic Youth Association.
Judge Hester was appointed to the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County in 1961, where he served as the administrative judge of the Civil Division. Judge Hester was elected to the Superior Court in 1978, and served until he reached the mandatory retirement age of 70. He then remained with the Court as a senior judge.
Judge Hester was recognized as one of the “one hundred outstanding graduates of Duquesne University” during its first century. He also received the St. Thomas More Award from the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh for his outstanding contributions to the legal profession, the judiciary, and his community. Judge Hester passed away at 91 years old on September 24, 2004.