Edward L Kessler

Edward L. Kessler, 83, born September 20, 1928, died peacefully at home on May 11, 2012. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, May 17, 2012, at Bernheim-Apter-Kreitzman Suburban Funeral Chapel, Livingston, N.J., (973) 422-0600. The family will welcome visitors daily from 3 to 8 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday. Mr. Kessler was the executive vice president of Montgomery Engineering Company in West Caldwell, N.J. Born in Jersey City, N.J., he lived most of his life in South Orange, N.J., before moving to Summit, N.J. He served on the board of N.J. ACLU and, more recently, was a board member of the League of Women Voters and the Enamelist Guild. He was a volunteer at the Newark Museum and for the past 20 years cooked breakfast for the SHIP program in Summit. Mr. Kessler was an active member of the Fair Housing Council and the Peace Movement, and was always a proponent of liberal politics. His hobbies included sailing and jewelry making. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Nicki; his children, Jill Freinberg, David Kessler, Nancy Kessler, and Gail Kessler-Walsh; his sons-in-law, Mitchell Freinberg and Timothy Walsh; his daughter-in-law Patricia Powell-Kessler; his seven grandchildren, Tony, Benjamin, Hillary, Charlotte, Molly, Ivy, and Clara, and his nieces, Ellen Ross and Karen McManus. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to N.J. ACLU or The Newark Museum.