Fred Kessler

1961 - 2024

Fred Kessler, 63, of San Mateo passed away on July 20, 2024 after a short battle with pancreatic cancer. Fred was born on June 8, 1961, to Sandra and Gerald Kessler in Chicago, Illinois. After Fred graduated from high school in Los Angeles in 1979 he then relocated to the Bay Area where he attended Cal State East Bay where he got his undergraduate degree and master's degree in counseling. He then attended San Francisco State to get his second master's degree in administration . After college, Fred went on to work as an administrator for the Sequoia School District for 28 years. Fred married his wife in 1995, and they later settled in San Mateo where they raised their son and twin daughters. Fred was a total Deadhead and fell in love with the Grateful Dead after seeing his first show when he was 13 years old. Fred went on to see the band play over 200 times and had a huge collection of tapes, tickets, and colorful stories he could share from his time seeing The Dead. Fred is survived by his wife, children, and his younger brother and sister. Fred was the funniest, kindest soul, and he could bring a smile to anyone's face, he will be dearly missed.