Dr. Lawrence J Kessler

Dr Lawrence Kessler was a lot of things, to a lot of people, and that’s exactly how he liked it. Larry was a loving father and grandfather, generous with his time and abundant with his affection. He was all about cultivating community, and he loved nothing more than a good kibitz – in his dental office, out to dinner with friends or on the phone with his kids. He was an extraordinary friend, the kind who showed up when it mattered most. Larry loved life. And he loved all of it most when shared with family and friends.

Larry Kessler’s story began in 1940’s New York, born to Saul and Ester Kessler. He was the younger sibling to Gladys (Gloria) Denning. Larry’s parents owned a toy store in Queens and the foursome lived in the Williamsburg Housing Project. In 1948, Larry’s older sister took him on a transformative adventure, to see Ray Bolger in the Broadway musical, “Where’s Charley?” This outing ignited a lifelong love of musicals and live theater. In 1950, the Kessler family moved to Sheepshead Bay. The Nostrand Housing Project was far from the family store, which left Larry to cultivate his independence, from an early age. Saul and Ester sold their business in 1957 and retired to sunny Miami Beach. Larry made a one semester pit stop at Beach High before returning to Brooklyn to finish his senior year at James Madison High School. Larry attended Indiana University, where he met his future wife, Valerie Kain. They married in 1964. Larry attended Dental School at Northwestern University and went into the Army as part of the GI Bill. Larry and Valerie lived in Germany, where Larry worked in the Nurnberg Army Hospital. During that time, Larry cultivated a new passion: travel. During those years in Germany, he and Valerie spent weekends exploring Europe. And, in 1967, they welcomed their first child, David. In 1968, they moved to Chicago where Larry specialized in periodontics at the University of Illinois. After two freezing winters, the family of three moved to Miami, where their daughter, Nicole (Nikki), was born in 1971.

Larry practiced in Coral Gables then moved to an office near Dadeland, where he would practice for nearly 50 years – and would have practiced for another 50 if he could have. In the early years, Larry was active with the Jewish Dental Fraternity, AO. He met many of his lifelong friends through those meetings, picnics and social events. In his office, he could be found singing show tunes to captive patients. And despite this, his patients remained loyal through the decades. He loved the women who worked with him and took pleasure in watching them grow into their own lives and milestones. He fiercely loved his two dental partners, the late Johnny Fishman and Vivian Morad and found a companion in Sherri Sharon.

When not in the office, Larry could be found planting exotic tropical fruit trees, traveling abroad, taking classes (see: pottery, disco dancing, music theory, etc), exercising, supporting the arts and relishing in his role as a father and Papa Larry. Larry had a gift to make everyone feel seen and special, in every corner of his life. He was terribly proud of his children and grandchildren. Larry was deeply interested in everyone’s lives, cheering for them in their successes and loving them through their hardships. When a person was in Larry’s life, they knew they mattered. His selfless joy for others is the legacy he leaves behind and what will be most sorely missed.

Larry leaves behind a plethora of lifelong friends, his son, David, wife, Deb, as well as daughter, Nikki, and her husband, Gary, and grandchildren, Ella (17), Josh (14) and Syd (15). He is preceded in death by his mother, Ester, father, Saul, sister, Gloria and wife, Valerie.

Larry loved well and was loved well. He did good.

A funeral service for Lawrence will be held Tuesday, April 11, 2023 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at Riverside Gordon Memorial Chapels at Mount Nebo (Kendall), 5900 SW 77th Ave, Miami, FL 33143. Following the funeral service will be a committal service from 2:30 PM to 3:00 PM at Lakeside Memorial Park and Funeral Home, 10301 NW 25th Street, Miami, FL 33172.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Lakesidempfuneralhome.com for the Kessler family.