Edward Kessler was born in Philadelphia, PA on November 2, 1953, the beloved son of

Claire and Harvey Kessler. He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Carolyn Sue

Kessler. He was a fun-loving and artistic father to Mike and Sara Kessler, and a

cherished, caring brother to Bob Kessler and Lori Patrusky.

Ed met Carolyn while earning his bachelor's degree at Pennsylvania State University,

and from then on, they were inseparable. The couple moved to Georgia so Ed could

attend Life Chiropractic College and the two were married in June of 1980.

In 1984, Ed and Carolynn visited Virginia Beach and fell in love with the town, choosing

it as the place to raise their family and build their lives together.

In 1987, Ed lost his beloved Carolynn, leaving him to raise Sara, still a baby, and Mike,

only five years old, largely on his own. He met the challenge with devotion, with his

mother Claire, father Harvey and sister-in-law Pamela helping care for the children

during summers.

Ed became a well-known and trusted Chiropractor in the Hampton Roads community.

For over 40 years, Dr. Edward Kessler was a familiar and trusted name in the area,

dedicated to enhancing the well-being of those around him through expert chiropractic

care and holistic medicine.

Beyond his profession, Ed was a skilled musician and always had a love for music. As a

child he sang in the Philadelphia all boys choir as a first soprano. He later took on

playing instruments, beginning with the accordion and later picking up the bass guitar at

age 14, an instrument he would play for the rest of his life. As a youth, Ed often had his

friends over at his parent’s home to play music together with their many instruments.

After losing Carolynn, he found solace in his music, which became a steady companion

through the years. For most of his adult life, up until 2017, he played the base guitar in

several bands. During his high school years in Philadelphia, he played with the band

Dead Cheese and more recently with Rare Daze and Last Fair Deal in Virginia Beach.

While raising his kids, Ed made it a point to include his children in his passion for live

music. Often bringing them along to shows he played around the Virginia Beach music

scene or taking them to see national acts traveling through the area. When at home, Ed

was a fun and generous parent, opening his home and hospitality to many friends of his

children. Ed enjoyed nature, visiting first landing state park, and camping in

Shenandoah. In life, friends could easily find Ed walking the Boardwalk in Virginia

Beach, admiring the sunrise, and catching up with his son Mike during his visits.

Though raised in a Jewish family, Ed began practicing transcendental meditation in high

school and later embraced Buddhism while in college, Friends and family fondly                                                                                                remember his chants and meditation whenever they visited. He was an active and

committed member of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI) Buddhist community in

Virginia Beach, where he made a point of welcoming everyone he met, and he never

hesitated to extend a hand or lend an ear to friends and family in need.

Ed passed away on July 9, 2026, in Virginia Beach at Sentara Leigh Hospital in Norfolk

Virginia after a long illness. His spirit remained intact until his final moments.

Ed is survived by his children, Mike Kessler and Sara Kessler; his daughter-in-law, Vero

Uribe-Kessler; his siblings, Bob Kessler and Lori Patrusky; and many friends in the

Hampton Roads music, Chiropractic and Buddhist communities who considered him

family.