Joan Mills Kessler

Joan Mills Kessler, 87, born on February 19, 1921 to Adolph and Lolita Geissler in New York City, passed away on November 13, 2008 at Charlestown Retirement Community in Catonsville, Maryland where she had been a resident for the past 12 years. Joan was a long time resident of Connecticut and resided in Darien for seven years, Wilton for 23 years and Guilford for 13 years before moving to Charlestown in 1996.

Joan was the beloved wife of the late Wendell P. Kessler (deceased 1981), loving mother of Jacqueline M. Sienold, Stephen P. Kessler and his wife Laara, and Deborah J. Coventry and her husband David. Cherished grandmother of Jennifer and Timothy (Jackie's children), Keith and Scott (Debbie and Dave's children), David, Rachel, Naomi and Kali (Steve and Laara's children).

Joan graduated from Pelham High School, NY and was a 1941 Katherine Gibbs graduate. She married Wendell shortly thereafter whom she met through his sister, Juliet Pedrotty, a good friend of Joan's.

While living in Darien with a young family Joan was an avid swimmer in Long Island Sound and continued swimming at the Wilton YMCA after they moved there. In Wilton Joan was a member of the Wilton New Neighbor's Club and enjoyed tending to the large flower beds surrounding the house. Joan was a very devoted wife and mother who dedicated herself to raising her three children and taking care of the household.

Services were held at Our Lady of Fatima church in Wilton on November 17, 2008. Interment was at Hillside Cemetery in Wilton.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in her memory be sent to the Arthritis Foundation or The Humane Society of the United States.