John E. Gessner

John E. Gessner, 79, of Battle Creek, passed away on January 5, 2026. He was born on July 18, 1946, in Nashville, TN, to Frederick and Martha (Battle) Gessner. John had been a resident of Battle Creek since 1963, graduating from Harper Creek High School in 1965 and earning his bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University. He honorably served in the United States Air Force, which included a tour in Vietnam.

As a local realtor, John was a key member of the Stetler Real Estate team and later Prudential Real Estate. Most recently, he worked in auto sales at Sunshine Toyota. In his spare time, he enjoyed playing poker and golfing. He once held the all-city team bowling record with a score of 1215.

John is survived by his daughters, Shannon (Jeffrey) Dennis and Tonya Stark; two sons, Christopher (Emily) Gessner and Jordan Sutliff; five grandchildren, Paige, Aiden, Gwendolyn, Campbell, and Gunner; and a sister, Janet Randall. He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Fred Gessner and Pat Gessner.

Visitation will be Thursday, January 15, 2026 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Farley Estes Dowdle Funeral Home & Cremation Care, where funeral services to celebrate John's life will be 10:00 a.m., Friday, January 16.  Interment with full military honors will follow at Fort Custer National Cemetery.  

Personal messages for the family may be placed at www.farleyestesdowdle.com.