Mae Kessler's Obituary
Mae (Kunelius) Kessler passed away on April 9, 2024, a few months shy of her 100th birthday. She was born Mae Eugenia Freeman on September 11, 1924, in Jamaica, NY, to parents George and Ethel. She was the oldest of six siblings and grew up in Nassau County on Long Island where she graduated from Sewanhaka High School in 1941. She married Walter Kunelius on February 14, 1943. They started their family in Seaford, Long Island where they ran Walter’s Boat Yard before moving to Florida in the late 1950s.
Mae spent nearly 70 years living in Clearwater, FL. In 1989 she retired from Vision Cable. She kept in contact with some of those coworkers for the remainder of her life. Mae resided in Village on the Green for 30-plus years, where she met her husband Art Kessler, whom she married on July 29, 1995. After Art's passing, she received her cockatiel, Pumpkin, who remained her faithful companion throughout the rest of her life.
Mae enjoyed many social activities at the neighborhood clubhouse including swimming, bingo, and card games. In more recent years, she also enjoyed volunteering at her church thrift shop. She was known for her cake-decorating talent. Many fondly remember the celebratory cakes she made. There are several decorated sugar Easter eggs, made decades ago, still cherished by their recipients.
Mae had a large family, kept up-to-date with their lives, and was quick to tell others of their accomplishments. Those she was preceded in death by include her parents, George and Ethel Freeman, husbands Walter Kunelius and Art Kessler, siblings George Freeman, Dorothy (Hill) Pace, William Freeman, Clara White, and Arthur Freeman, and granddaughter Traci Hodges. She is survived by daughters Linda Fite (Joe), Karen Swanson (John), and Diane Thomas (Wayne); grandsons Michael Felice (Carrie) and Matthew Felice, granddaughter Caitlin Talbot (Bill), great-grandchildren Zach Fite, Nick Martinez, Shelby Martinez, Jimmy Hodges, Blaney Felice, Gavin Felice, and Adrian Talbot, and great-great grandchildren Sawyer, Tyler, Kason, and Lyra, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and extended family.
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