Diane Kessler
Diane Kessler passed to heaven peacefully on Sept. 15, 2020, in Shawnee of natural causes. Diane lived a life full of love and full of giving love to others, especially as a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.
Born May 2, 1930, in Kansas City, Missouri, to Etta Adelman Vigder and Max Vigder, Diane was a lifelong resident of the Kansas City area. She attended and graduated from Paseo High School, and while there was a member of a sorority where she made many lifelong friends. In 1950, she married her soulmate Robert “Bob” Kessler, and it was a marriage made in heaven, where they are now two souls together.
Diane was a gifted child prodigy in classical piano. After she and Bob started their family, there was always music in the home, with Bob singing and all three sons becoming accomplished instrumentalists. Many sing-a-longs happened around Diane’s cherished piano and during road trips in the car.
Diane was always a hard worker like Etta, and as soon as her boys were in school, she worked part-time with Bob at the family’s neighborhood grocery store greeting customers, then at Helzberg’s Jewelers at Metcalf South, and finally at The Sun Newspapers — where everyone in the classified department loved her so and called her “Mom.”
Diane always made fast friends with everyone she met, always exuding her sweetness and love, her radiant smile and her joyful sense of humor to everyone. She had the rare gift of striking up conversations with total strangers and making them feel like they’d known her for years.
Diane was renowned for her vast, intricate knowledge of the family tree and relatives’ birthdays. She cherished old movies and could name all the Hollywood stars and singers.
In her later years, Molly, her border collie mix pup adopted from Wayside Waifs, gave her faithful companionship and joy for almost 20 years, especially after Bob had passed. Diane kept up the Jewish traditions with her family, always celebrating the holidays with great joy and love. She was a member of the B’nai B’rith Sisterhood and Congregation Ohev Sholom.
Diane is survived by her sons, Stanton Kessler of Mission and companion Kumiko DeRigne, Gary Kessler and wife Lourdes Eguez Kessler of Overland Park, and Martin Kessler of Mission; grandchildren, Jesse Reed-Schall of Overland Park, Dr. Carolina Hernandez of Tampa, Florida, and Andrea Hernandez of Overland Park; seven beautiful great-grandchildren; and a niece and nephew.
Private family services were to be held. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Wayside Waifs ( www.waysidewaifs.org ).
Online condolences for the family may be shared at www.louismemorialchapel.com.
Arrangements by The Louis Memorial Chapel, 816-361-5211.
