Lori Keller Kessel

LORI KELLER KESSEL

Fairfield

Lori Keller Kessel, 56, of Fairfield, passed away while surrounded by family on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019, at

the Jefferson County Health Center.

Visitation for family and friends will be 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 18, at St. Mary Catholic Church in Fairfield. A mass to celebrate her life will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 19, at St. Mary Catholic Church with Father Nik Adam officiating. Following the mass, she will be cremated. Burial of cremains will be at a later date. A memorial has been established. Cards and memorials may be sent to 1505 Dogwood Dr., Fairfield, IA 52556.

Lori was born May 22, 1963, in Keosauqua, Iowa, to Ruth Stegelman Keller and Robert Keller. She was the youngest of four children, and the only daughter. Lori married Steven Kessel on Feb. 12, 1993. They had two children together, Andrew and Makayla.

Lori graduated from Van Buren High School in 1981 and went on to earn three degrees from the University of Iowa. She held several jobs in banking and business, but most loved her job when she used her Master's degree in rehabilitation counseling to work with children with disabilities and challenging life circumstances.

Lori loved music, having learned to play the organ at the age of three. She would go on to learn to play the piano, clarinet, oboe and timpani. In her later years, Lori loved nothing more than watching her kids learn to play instruments, and perform in music, dance and theater. She proudly attended all five high school and college graduations for her kids, traveling around Iowa and to Washington, D.C. When she wasn't cheering on her kids, she was at Kinnick Stadium watching the Iowa Hawkeyes play football. She never missed a game if she could help it.

Lori was preceded in death by her parents; grandparents; brother, Jim; and nephew, Joshua.

She is survived by her husband, Steve Kessel of Fairfield; son, Andrew Kessel of Burlington; daughter, Makayla Kessel of Arlington, Va.; brothers, John (Rhonda) Keller of Keosauqua and Chuck (Tina) Keller of Cedar Rapids; stepfather, Frank Lunsford of Fairfield; and many brothers- and sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews.

Online condolences may be made to the family at behnerfh.com.