Donald J. Kiesler

KIESLER Dr. Donald J. Kiesler, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Clinical Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University, died May 16, 2007. He was predeceased by his infant daughter, Rachel Hall Kiesler. He is survived by his wife, E. Allison Hall Kiesler; three children, Sarah Hall Kiesler, Benjamin Hall Kiesler and Barry Donald Kiesler. He was born in 1933 in Louisville, Kentucky to parents John Valentine Kiesler and Mildred Foushee Kiesler, both deceased. Dr. Kiesler is also survived by his three brothers, John Valentine Kiesler Jr. of Columbia, Maryland, Dr. Thomas A. Kiesler of Rockville, Maryland, and Michael J. Kiesler of St. Louis, Missouri. As a research psychologist, Dr. Kiesler was internationally recognized as a seminal authority in study of contemporary interpersonal psychotherapy. In 1973, Dr. Kiesler assumed directorship of VCU's doctoral program in clinical psychology, and spearheaded its accreditation in 1975 by the American Psychological Association as the first accredited doctoral clinical program in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Dr. Kiesler received his bachelor's degree in 1958 from Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky and his Ph.D. in clinical psychology in 1963 from the University of Illinois. Before arriving at VCU in 1973, he held research and academic positions at Wisconsin Psychiatric Institute in Madison, the University of Iowa, and Emory University. Upon his retirement in 1999, he continued to conduct research at VCU's Medical College of Virginia in the physician patient interpersonal relationship. The family will receive friends at Bliley's Central Chapel, 3801 Augusta Avenue, on Sunday, 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 12 noon on Monday at St. Peter's Catholic Church, with interment to follow in Hollywood Cemetery.