Late GBS Alum Honored As State Competitive Dance Official Of The Year

GLENVIEW, IL — A beloved fixture of the Illinois competitive dance community who mentored hundreds of young dangers across the North Shore and the wider world before passing away last year will be honored this week at a banquet for the Illinois High School Association. Glenview native Paula Hess passed away Aug. 2 of last year following a lengthy battle with breast cancer. Saturday, she will be posthumously recognized as the IHSA's Dance Official of the Year.

“The IHSA Officials of the Year banquet is truly one of the highlights of the year for the Association,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. “This year’s ceremony will take on an ever more special meaning as we posthumously recognize Dance Official of the Year Paula Hess.”

Hess, a Glenbrook South alumna, served on the committee that helped draw up the IHSA's state dance series, she served as the tournament manager at Illinois' first ever state finals in 2013 and she was a state director for the Universal Dance Association. (Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news for Glenview — or your community. And iPhone users: Check out Patch's new app.)

“Paula was an incredibly knowledge and respected dance official,” said IHSA Assistant Executive Director Tracie Henry. “But what made her so special was her ability to connect with people. Everyone loved her. She had a way of bringing people together and bringing calm to any situation. She was integral to dance becoming an IHSA sport and we miss her every day.”

Hess documented her battled with cancer on a personal blog with a mix of humor and introspection.

Her diagnosis made dance more important to Hess, her family told Pioneer Press. Just two weeks before she died, she taught at a high school in Midlothian, and in her final week, she was on hand coaching a dance team from GBS with their choreography.

Top photo: Paula Hess | Courtesy Illinois High School Association