Glenna Ruth Kessler

1951 - 2026

Glenna Ruth Kessler
Born: May 9, 1951 in Toronto, ON
Died: January 27, 2026 in Crystal Lake, IL
Glenna Kessler (née Richmond), of Crystal Lake, Illinois, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. She was 74.
Glenna Ruth was born on May 9, 1951, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to Vincent and Ruth Richmond. She was also deeply shaped by her relationship with her stepmother, Florence Richmond, a steady and loving presence throughout Glenna's life. Seven siblings - Bill, Bob, Ron, Nancy, Steven, Peggy and Duane - completed their Hogtown brood, and together they created that steady hum of family life that would continue to shape her. Glenna soon made her way to the United States, where she married and built a life with John Kessler III.
Glenna's legacy is rooted in her character. She was soft-spoken, with warm blue eyes and a serendipitous sense of humor. She loved patiently, quietly, unconditionally. She was "Mom" to Karen Kessler, Sandi (Scott) Nies and John (Alison) Kessler IV and, affectionately, "G Kess" to grandchildren Kaitlyn and Logan Dooley, Ashley Nies, Kendra and Johnna Kessler, and Kala (Dylan) Kessler Taylor. She was proud to be "Great Grandma" to Paul Glenn Taylor (a boy with a familiar cleft in his little chin).
It seems fitting that Glenna was born on National Butterscotch Brownie Day. She was a gifted sweets-maker, spending many years working in a bakery - and her kitchen was a place of comfort and generosity. She understood the language of simple pleasures: something warm from the oven, a shared table, a recipe passed along without fuss.
Glenna was quite the lane shark. She spent many Friday nights with her league-neighbors sharing stories, friendly competition, and a companionship that insulated them from the bite of winter as surely as an old flannel. Over the years, she carried that rhythm into more than a few tournaments, bowling not just for fun, but with pride and purpose. She adored the candor of a Midwestern summer. She was often found grill side, listening to a Cubs game and sipping a fizzy drink as the light faded. She was a creative homemaker and an avid Chicago sports fan - her loyalty as steadfast as the ivy at Wrigley Field.
Glenna spent many of her later years working in banking, side-by-side with her daughter, finding fulfillment not in titles but in community and routine. She valued kindness and consistency, showing up in quiet ways that mattered. She will be deeply missed: through summer nights, muffled giggles, and through the Odes to Simplicity she leaves behind.
"A white tent pitched by a glassy lake,
Well under a shady tree,
Or by rippling rills from the grand old hills,
Is the summer home for me.
I fear no blaze of the noontide rays,
For the woodland glades are mine,
The fragrant air, and that perfume rare,
The odour of forest pine."
-Sir James Edgar