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Loretta Kessler (nee Schuengel), born September 9, 1918 in St. Louis Missouri, passed away after a short illness in Victoria, November 25, 2014, in her 97th year. Predeceased by her husbands, Howard Maroon and Joseph Kessler, her daughter Patti and her son Rik. Survived by her daughter Gwendolyn Maroon (Marcus Handman), and her sons David Maroon (Debbie) and Herb Maroon (Holly), and her eight grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren.

Loretta’s family immigrated to the United States in 1850’s, her German heritage included maternal grandparents named von Elmenhorst, and there is still a town in Germany named after them. She met and married Howard in St. Louis and they moved to California together after Howard returned from serving in WWII.

After a career with the General Telephone Company in California, Loretta and Joe came north to Canada and the BC Interior in 1971 with her two youngest children, Gwendolyn and Herb, in protest to the war in Vietnam. Loretta and Gwendolyn stayed, long after the men returned to the US, making a life here and ultimately settling on Vancouver Island, first in Courtenay and then in Victoria. She led a vibrant and active life, hiking up mountains in her 70’s, renovating houses herself, quilting miles of material and creating many dozens of quilts, playing cards with friends, volunteering in soup kitchens and senior centres. She reluctantly gave up the keys of her cherished Toyota at age 94, but remained an engaged, positive and optimistic personality filled with love for her family, friends and life.

At Loretta’s request there will be no funeral service.



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