Eva M. Kessler

Eva M. Kessler loving wife of John Kessler, passed away on December 23, 2014 in Tucson, Arizona. Eva was born in Vienna, Austria on February 3, 1926 and grew up in Zagreb, Yugoslavia. She lived there with her parents Alfred and Emily Bondy (née Rothziegel) and her brother Michael until she was 14 years old. To escape the Nazis, Eva and her parents sailed on what turned out to be the last passenger ship before the end of WWII to sail from Italy to America. Eva graduated from Hunter College in New York City and earned a Master of Psychology from Columbia University. After graduation, she participated in research on the genetics of twins. She married John in 1950. They moved to Princeton, New Jersey in 1953 and to Tucson, Arizona in 1966. Eva had a keen intellect and a clarity of mind that could distinguish hokum and false inferences from the real stuff. This wonderful ability underpinned the upbringing of her children and was of great help during the development of John's career as a physicist. Eva loved to play Bridge and won many competitions. She played both socially and competitively. She loved folk art, particularly American Indian crafts, as well as beautiful textiles from around the world. One of her favorite yearly activities was going to the Tucson Gem Show where she found unique jewelry, rocks and minerals which she happily passed on to friends and relatives. Eva and John traveled extensively and enjoyed visiting many parts of the world. Her favorite activities included seeing beautiful countryside, visiting art museums and being with and making friends with the local people. Eva had great joy in the success of her children. She is survived by her husband, John; their children, Helen and Steven; daughter-in-law, Anne, and grandchildren, Matthew and Madelyn. She will be greatly missed by her many friends and family. If desired, please send donations in Eva's name to Arizona Public Media.