SWAMPSCOTT — A passionate and dedicated voice that has been serving the citizens of Swampscott for the past 50 years has fallen silent.
Longtime community advocate Nelson Kessler died on Friday, Jan. 12 after a brief illness. For the past five decades, Kessler, 85, used his voice to shed light on the Swampscott community and all of its needs.
“He was passionate for the little guy, the regular citizen, and thought he was a voice for the people of Swampscott,” said his daughter, Lesley Dexter.
Kessler, who worked for 30 years as a sheet metal worker for Local Union #17, was forced to retire at 55 when his rheumatoid arthritis began to interfere. After the sudden retirement, he became involved in the town, which was something very different for him, according to Dexter.
“He was a work, home, and family kind of man who didn’t talk a lot, or have many friends, so for him to put himself out there and get involved, and talk to and in front of all these people was so out of character for him, but then it became his character,” she said. “Swampscott was his home for over 50 years and he became committed to ensuring the schools and the town were the best they could be.”
The adored Swampscott advocate was an active member of Temple Israel/Shirat Hayam for more than 53 years, serving on the Board of Directors and the Brotherhood Committee. He volunteered countless hours on numerous committees and commissions in the community.
“I have been chief for the past 15 years and whenever I was at town hall I would always run into Nelson, who was there to take part in some meeting or committee,” Swampscott Police Chief Ron Madigan said. “He was passionate about being a voice for the community and the citizens of Swampscott.”
Kessler also served as the co-chair of both the Board of Health and Conservation Committee as well as president of his condo association. The biggest legacy he left behind was initiating curbside recycling throughout the town, which led to his Distinguished Citizen Award in 1998, and a Certificate of Appreciation from the Board of Selectmen in 2017.
“People respected him because they knew if they had a problem and brought it to his attention, he would carry it forward for them,” said John Picariello, Kessler’s son-in-law. “He was widely known in the community for being approachable by anyone with a question or concern.”
Peter Spellios, a member of the Board of Selectmen, started working with Kessler more than 15 years ago when he first became a member of the Swampscott zoning board.
“What always struck me was his commitment to showing up and speaking on behalf of the town as well as what he represented,” Spellios said. “He didn’t sit back and complain, he got involved and I hope others see the example Nelson was and see it as an opportunity to get involved and make a difference.”
Being an advocate for the community was not as easy as Kessler made it out to be, according to his daughter, Beth Hoffman.
“We grew up in a community that is very affluent and my parents weren’t as affluent as others, they were hard workers,” she said. “He was a sheet metal worker and my mother was a hairdresser for over 50 years, so he couldn’t just write a check, he had to do it by getting his hands dirty, and I appreciate that lesson and my kids and grandson do as well.”
Kessler leaves behind his wife, Libby (Doliner) Kessler, his brother, Bob Kessler, and his children, Stephen Kessler, Dexter, Cynthia Picariello and Hoffman, along with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, to carry on his legacy.
