Emil Leopold Kass

Emil Leopold Kass was a man of many hats — professional, recreational, and literal. His loving family of four children, Andy, Sandy, Jane, and Jim, as well as his eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, will forever enjoy the colorful stories he left behind. He had a unique way of finding humor, creativity, and adventure while supporting his loved ones, and we hope to continue that legacy.

Emil was born on April 19, 1928, the third of four children to German immigrants, Lydia and Albert Kass. The Kasses were a family of faith, and the children grew up in the Lutheran Church. Even in his final days, Emil could still recite the Lord’s Prayer in German.

When he was young, Emil and his older brother, Bob, would peddle fruits and vegetables around their Chicago neighborhood to help their family during the Great Depression. The more talkative Emil took on the role of charming salesman.

In high school, Emil joined the swim team and worked his way up to team captain. He spent many summers working as a lifeguard. In college, he continued to swim and also joined the gymnastics team doing the high bar and parallel bars.

Emil met his best friend, Ray “Moose” Siville, at Southern Illinois University. They worked at the campus canteen and did other odd jobs together, but were best known for their comedy hand-balancing act that they brought to small towns in the area.

It was also during his time at SIU that Emil met a certain Mary Ann Maloney, his future wife. They loved to go dancing at the Chatterbox and drive around town in Emil’s prized Model-A Ford.

Once Emil completed his master’s degree in psychology, he was drafted into the Army during the Korean War. He was shipped to San Francisco, where he worked as a psych technician at the Letterman Army Hospital.

While stationed there, Emil, who always had a side job of some sort, worked part time at a foreign film theater. He met Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe one evening while manning the ticket counter.

Emil and Mary wrote letters after he joined the Army, and they married in San Francisco in 1954. They eventually moved to Phoenix where he worked for a while as a psychology research assistant before becoming an English teacher at North High School.

Their four children were born between 1955 and 1961. The kids recall many Christmases spent driving through the snow to visit Emil’s family in Chicago, while summers involved trips to California to visit the beach, Disneyland, and Mary’s family.

Later, Emil was accepted into ASU’s doctoral program for counseling psychology. He wrote his dissertation, “Desensitization of Test Anxiety,” and graduated in 1969.

When the kids were older, Emil grew an interest in trading with the Hopi community. He became a familiar figure, known as “Emo,” on the Hopi reservation. Through trades, he built connections with local artists and became an avid collector of Hopi pottery and carved Kachina figures.

Another of Emil’s hobbies was hunting Arizona’s “Big 10” game animals, often on the Mogollon Rim. His prized kills include a mountain lion, a bison, and a large elk. His “Moby Dick” was a bear that always got away. He often laughed over stories of it appearing out of season, sneaking into camp while he slept, and ignoring his many attempts to set out bait.

Mary passed away in 1994. It was a difficult loss for Emil, but we rejoice in knowing that they are together again (and probably dancing too!).

After Mary died, Emil decided to take up welding, launching him into a fulfilling art side-career. He used carefully curated scrap metal to sculpt caricatures as well as familiar desert plants and animals. The Arizona Republic newspaper did a feature article and TV news segment on his work called “The Scrappy Sculptor.”

Emil fully retired from counseling around 2009 and spent much of his time pursuing his hobbies and enjoying his getaway home in Prescott.

Emil’s kids always brought their families to visit him in Arizona for holidays and summer vacations. The grandkids spent many hot afternoons swimming in his pool, hiding among sculptures in the backyard, and enjoying the popsicles that Emil always kept stocked in the freezer.

Donations will be made in lieu of flowers to the Hopi Emergency Relief Fund.