John M. Kessler

Funeral services and Mass of Christian Burial for John M. Kessler, 73, of Davenport, will be 10:30 a.m. Friday, January 27, 2023 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Solon, Iowa. Burial will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Solon.  Visitation will be Thursday from 4 until 7 p.m. at the Halligan-McCabe-DeVries Funeral Home, Davenport with the rosary prayed at 6:30 p.m. There will be additional visitation Friday from 9:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary’s, Solon.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Holy Family Catholic Church, All Saints Catholic School, or Knights of Columbus – Deacon Jerry Timmerman Council.

John passed away peacefully Friday, January 20, 2023 at Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House, Bettendorf surrounded by his family.

John Michael Kessler was born on August 10, 1949 in Iowa City, Iowa to Michael and Veronica (Kelly) Kessler.  He was raised on a farm near Solon and graduated from Solon Community High School in 1967. He later earned a degree from St. Ambrose College in 1971 and his masters in education from Marycrest College in 1975 and did 60 hours of post graduate classes to improve teaching effectiveness.

John taught 35 years in the Davenport Community School District at Wilson, Johnson, and Adams Elementary Schools. He loved working with students and providing a male influence in hundreds of children’s lives who did not have a male presence in their home. Mr. Kessler also trained over twenty student teachers leaving a lasting effect on generations of students.  John was especially proud of the support he proved for Vietnamese refugees and tutored Vietnamese college students in English as well as a reading tutor in inner city schools.

He was a member of Holy Family Parish and served on the parish council.  He was also devoted to the Knights of Columbus and was a member of the Deacon Timmerman Council #14678 and the Msgr. Leo J. Feeney 4^th Degree Assembly.  John was also a member of the Catholic Order of Foresters and the Mississippi Valley Quilters Guild.

Survivors include his sister, Mary Mueller, Ellicott City, Maryland, brother-in-law, Larry Edens, nephews: Danny (Michelle Neubauer) Edens, David Edens, all of Davenport; Greg (Denise) Mueller, Ellicott City, Maryland, and Michael (Kelly) Mueller, Santa Rosa, California; grandnieces Anna and Sophie Mueller, of Ellicott City, Maryland and many cousins and friends.