News 
Professor Dies In Kendall Campus Bathroom After Morning Jog
By
Melissa Adan
Melissa.adan001@mymdc.net
Ronald Hess was a regular at the Miami Dade College Kendall Campus track.
On April 16, the long-time MDC adjunct professor, took his last run.
A maintenance employee reported finding Hess unresponsive inside a bathroom in Building M at Kendall Campus around 7 a.m, according to Alvaro Zabaleta, a spokesman for Miami-Dade police.
Hess, 66, was pronounced dead on the scene, according to police officials, who also said he suffered a heart attack shortly after taking a jog around the campus.
The Miami-Dade medical examiner’s office is still investigating the cause of death; foul play is not suspected.
“He ran on the track every morning at Miami Dade College for 20 years,” said Hess’ son Michael Hess, 32. “He loved running.”
Hess, who had worked at MDC since 1990, taught in the English and Communications Department and College Prep Department at Kendall Campus.
"He always put students first,” said Jaime Flores, Kendall Campus’ English Department Chairperson. “[He] was always very dedicated to [them].”
Hess, who liked to read, garden, and enjoyed swimming at the Kendall Campus pool in his spare time, also taught at Barry University and previously taught at Miami Killian Senior High School, according to Michael Hess. He served two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Colombia.
“Everyone liked him, he was a nice guy,” said Virginia Nugent, Supervisor of the College Prep writing lab at Kendall Campus.
For now, Hess’ classes are being taught by a substitute.
A memorial service for Hess was held at Caballero Rivero Woodlawn Funeral Home on April 21.
“I’ll miss my dad’s great sense of humor,” his son said. “He was good about making people laugh and making them feel at ease.”
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