Donald Joseph Kessler

Donald “Don” Joseph Kessler, age 67, of Conroe, Texas, passed away on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. He was born on March 20,1955 in Alexandria, Louisiana, the middle of three children to Marguerite Faye Kessler and John Joseph Kessler. Growing-up in a Military family, his childhood adventures were spent in memorable locations like Panama City, Florida in which he often spoke fondly about, spending countless hours fishing and exploring the local wildlife as a kid.

Don met his true lifelong love, James “Jim” Simpson, in 1989 while working and living in The Woodlands, Texas. Truly best friends, they loved each other immensely and enjoyed life’s adventures as one. First joined as partners in 1998 in Maui at a private ceremony, they “officially” married in 2014, spending an amazing 34 years together. They lived many places from Austin to San Francisco, and finally settling in Conroe, Texas. As a couple, they celebrated their lives together and never spent a day apart.

In 1973, Don graduated from Greenon High School in Enon, Ohio. After high school, he attended Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, to complete his Bachelor of Science in Biology. He then attended Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, earning a Master of Science in Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology in 1983.

Between 1984 and 1994, Don focused his career on the forefront of cancer research at Houston’s M.D. Anderson and Baylor College of Medicine. In 1995, he contributed his scientific talents to the DNA sequencing and discovery of the Human Genome Project (HGP) in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Through his research, he was able to help the scientific community through his 14 nationally recognized publications, 12 scientific presentations, and through all that found the time to create six U.S. patented products for science and technology. For this, he received numerous personal acknowledgements from other industry leaders, and his research was quoted in six major publications. Between 1999 and 2004, he joined Agilent Technologies where he developed and marketed a faster and more reliable DNA microarray printer that is currently being used worldwide.

While Don loved all sports, his true passion was tennis. He spent countless hours practicing, traveling, and playing in numerous tournaments with his dear friend, Tim Calhoun. Tim often tempered his competitive on-court frustrations throughout their long-lasting friendship. Later in life, his passion turned to his Italian Greyhound fur babies, Rayni, JoJo, and Greyson, which he loved dearly.

He is survived by his husband, Jim Simpson; his mother, Marguerite Kessler; his sister, Kim and her husband, John Cicchetti; and his niece, Robin her husband Marc Rajotte; his grandnephew Ashton Cicchetti; and grandnieces; Madelynn Foss, Teagan Rajotte, and Tatum Rajotte.

Not without mentioning Jim’s family who will also miss him desperately.

We will all live on through his legacy of memories.

Memorial Service will be held at Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service in the Auditorium on Thursday March 9th at noon.

In remembrance of Don, donations may be made to The American Heart Association.