Leslie John Kessler, Jr.

Some called him Les, Brother Les, or Brother Kessler, but to most of us he was Pap-Paw, a man with a huge heart and personality to match. With his usual flair, he left this earth for heaven on his 97th birthday, October 3, 2020.

He was devoted to Jesus, his family, and his friends and had a special connection with each one. He never missed an opportunity to help, encourage, affirm, or lovingly speak truth into our lives. His most important accomplishment was leaving a legacy of faith in his family. He attended every birth and officiated every baptism and wedding. He rode dirt bikes into his 80’s, and had a great time kicking up some mud on the young guys trailing him. He played golf and bowled until recently. He taught many of his great and great-great grandchildren those sports and loved sharing his winning techniques with them.

Shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Les and his high school sweetheart June Hale were married on December 24, 1941. They knew they would be separated by the war and did not want to wait for some uncertain time in the future. Their son Ronald David “Ronnie” was born on November 3, 1942. Despite assurance from Les’ friends that the military would never take him because he was too skinny, he was conscripted to serve in the U.S. Army during WWII almost immediately. Following training at Fort Belvoir, VA, Staten Island, NY, and Fort Ord, CA, he served as a Marine Engineman for Company C of the 593rd Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment operating landing craft delivering troops and supplies for campaigns in the Philippines, New Guinea, and Borneo. Les returned home on January 3, 1946, five months after the Japanese surrendered to Allied forces. He loved to tell the story of 3-year-old Ronnie running straight to him yelling, “That’s my daddy!” after having been apart for more than 2 years. They were best friends from that day forward. Les and his buddies from Company C remained friends, and they held annual reunions until recent years.

Hard-working and industrious, Leslie started selling newspapers door-to-door as a child and built a long career in the industrial diamond industry after the war. While working full-time, he earned an Associate of Science Degree from the University of Houston and a degree from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary. During his career, he developed a business partnership and friendship with Jim Loomis and supplied diamond scribing tools to his company Loomis Industries. That partnership enabled Les to start his business the Trinity Company providing support for his family and the ability to refocus his life on ministry. Les continued working in his shop until his last month, dedicated to perfecting his system for setting diamonds in tools and faithfully serving his customers to the very end.

In 1955, Les had a life-changing encounter with God. He began attending church, studying the Bible, and even joined the choir. After graduating from Golden Gate Seminary, he devoted the rest of his life to his calling as a pastor serving congregations at First Baptist Church of Hawthorne, First Baptist Church of West Point, Calvary Baptist Church, and Rosslyn Baptist Church (now Northwest Crossing Baptist Church). He particularly loved inviting the children to join him on stage for his special children’s sermons.

At age 92, Les found love again and married Sue (Garwood) Kessler on July 25, 2015. Together, they enjoyed bowling and singing with the Celebration Singers at senior citizen facilities. His favorite song to sing for them was “I Just Love Old People.” Les and Sue were blessed with 5 joy-filled years together, and he liked to boast that they never had one single argument.

Many of his stories were captured in Les’ memoir, I Believe in Miracles, his account of an ordinary man who experienced the extraordinary hand of God throughout his life.

Les was born October 3, 1923, in Columbus, Texas. He was preceded in death by his parents Leslie John Kessler, Sr. and Rhoda Marie (Hyatt) Kessler, wife of 65 years June Kessler, daughters-in-law Martha Olbrych and Pam Kessler. He is survived by his wife Sue Kessler, son Ronald Kessler, grandchildren Glenda Seigle, Tracy Ramirez, Terri Smith, Ronda Gregory, and Jason Marland and wife Sheila, 15 great-grandchildren, 14 great-great-grandchildren, and step-children Jody Cram and Jeff Garwood.

Public viewing Sunday, October 11, 1:00-4:00pm, American Heritage Funeral Home, 10710 Veterans Memorial Drive, Houston, TX, 77038. Private family service Monday, October 12, 12:45pm. Service will be livestreamed: www.americanheritagefuneralhome.com.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, a mission especially close to his heart, https://www.imb.org/lottie-moon-christmas-offering/, or doing an act of kindness for someone in need. Les would like that very much.