John H. Kessler

resident of Palm Beach, Florida and West Orange, New Jersey died at 6.30am.

John was born on April 3, 1945, in Newark, New Jersey, the son of Leon and Louise

Kessler. A Jersey boy through and through, his formative years were spent in West

Orange, New Jersey where he was an exceptional athlete, on the West Orange High

school varsity swim, baseball and football teams.

In 1969, after graduating from Monmouth College and concluding service in the U.S.

Army, John joined J.B. Hanauer & Co. as a financial advisor, ultimately rising to the

position of Chairman and Principal Stock Holder. In May of 2007, J.B. Hanauer was

acquired by the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), where John continued to provide

financial advice to his clients specializing in fixed-income portfolio management and

was recognized by RBC for his accomplishments through his appointment to the RBC

Chairman’s Council.

John Kessler, a charismatic and very funny, self-made man, was a leader always rising

to the top of all he pursued with great passion and an exceptional sense of humor. He

was a President of Banyan Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida and a board member

of Mountain Ridge Country Club in West Caldwell, New Jersey, and a past member of

Hollywood Golf Club in Deal, New Jersey. John was an honorary member of the New

Jersey Professional Golf Association where he ran countless fundraisers for the past

forty years. He also co-chaired the 2012 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship, which

was held at the Mountain Ridge Country Club.

He was a man of varied interests and involved in many philanthropies, including: Palm

Beach United Way, United Jewish Appeal of Metro West, Jewish Federation of Palm

Beach County, Beth Israel Foundation, Kessler Institute, Prevent Blindness, Multiple

Sclerosis, 211 Treasure Coast and No Kid Hungry. John and his wife, Henni, always

committed “foodies”, exercised that passion through their involvement with the James

Beard Foundation, where John served on the Board of Trustees for ten years and

helped to raise money to develop and expand opportunities for young chefs throughout

the US.

Additionally, John served on the Board of Trustees for the Kravis Center for the

Performing Arts in West Palm Beach, Florida, where, as the treasurer, he served with

enthusiasm and dedication since 2012. He held various leadership roles including ViceChair for the past four years. When the Kravis Center embarked on a capital campaign,

as Chair of the campaign, he successfully raised many millions of dollars for The Center

working tirelessly and collaboratively with fellow Board members, volunteers, and staff.

He and his wife, Henni, attended a myriad of performances and special events at the

Center each season. They were one of the first to sponsor, and fabulous dancers, the

last to leave the dance floor.

Long after graduation he remained closely involved with Monmouth University, serving

as a trustee from 1990 to 1997, in 2009 he was named a Life Trustee and in 2016 was

named Trustee Emeritus. Together with Henni he led the fundraising effort for the

University’s football stadium, which bears their name – Kessler Stadium.

He is survived by his wife of 49 years Henni Kantor Kessler, his sister Eleonore Kessler

Cohen, his nieces Cynthia Cohen (Carl Goldberg), Debra and Crissy Kantor, his

nephews, Philip Cohen (Rebecca Kramnick) and Matthew Kantor, and 8 great nieces

and nephews.

John Kessler’s charismatic personality and extraordinary love of life attracted and

maintained legions of friend’s worldwide. With his zest for all he pursued he leaves

behind a legacy of substance and joy – a life well lived.

The family requests that gifts be made in support of the John H. Kessler Memorial

Funds set up at the following:

Donations can be made online at www.monmouth.edu/jhk

Donations can be made online at www.kravis.org/donate