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Anna Jane Kessler

April 16, 1922 — March 2, 2018

On March 2, 2018 Jane Kessler departed this world peacefully with loving friends by her side in Aspen, Colorado.

Born Anna Jane Shaw in San Diego, California, Jane was an only child. Following high school, during WWII, Jane worked as a telephone operator near the San Diego Naval Base. Jane’s interest in travel took her to Hawaii and Yosemite, where she learned to ski. While working in Yosemite Jane met a hotel manager from Aspen which lead to Jane’s first visit to Aspen. Jane earned a desk job at the Hotel Jerome and made Aspen her home. It was there, in 1957, that Jane met her husband-to-be Sepp Kessler. Jane and Sepp were married for 52 years and ran a small lodge for many years.

Jane never lost her love for travel and enjoyed river cruise tours through Europe with her friends. At home, Jane loved to hike, ski, read and volunteer. Jane volunteered at the Aspen Valley Hospital for several decades and came up with the idea to raise money for the hospital by selling the used vases from gifted flowers. Jane loved the Aspen Music Festival where she also worked as a volunteer for many years.

Jane was a lovely, kind, generous and loving person who will be missed dearly by all of her friends as well as her neighbors at Whitcomb Terrace where she lived for the last nine years.

Jane is survived by her step daughter Kerstin Kessler Weissenbrucker and step granddaughter Verena Kessler Weissenbrucker of Germany as well as many friends that Jane and Sepp held dear throughout their lives in Aspen.


A celebration of Jane’s life will be held in Aspen sometime this summer.