Allen Merrill Kessler

Allen Kessler was a wonderful neighbor. He loved his mischievous twins and tolerated their devious friends, allowing us to build a clubhouse in his backyard. Many neighborhood boys grew up in that clubhouse under big Al and Uni's watch. The "Club" was a safe, tolerant space for us mischievous adolescents. By the time the twins had graduated high school and move on, over 600 of their friends had visited the "Club" and signed their name to "the box". Always with a heartfelt greeting, a hardy handshake and eye-contact query, big Al always made me feel welcomed and respected at his home and jewelry store. Generous to a fault, his "Club Discounts" at Kessler Jewelers allowed many young men to afford luxury for the ones they loved. I will always cherish our conversations about cycling, a passion we both shared, and he was so competitive about his accomplishments on two wheels! Allen Merrill Kessler, a community leader, devoted husband, and an exemplary paternal archetype whom I learned from and will remember as a great man.