Robert R. Kessler
January 21, 1953 - July 8, 2021
Patient, intelligent, determined, dedicated, reliable, fun, modest, memorable… these are merely a few words that describe Bob. He was passionate about his lifelong career at the University of Utah as a Professor in Computer Science. He was a Ute all the way, having earned his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. at the U in 1974, 1977, and 1981, respectively. Bob served in the Computer Science Department (including a term as Department Chair). He was a proud co-founder and Director of the Entertainment, Arts and Engineering (EAE) program, which under his leadership became one of the top ranked video game design/education programs in the world. Bob mentored countless students, staff, and faculty. Bob was an award-winning teacher, having received the University of Utah Distinguished Teaching award, and in 2019 Bob received the IEEE Computer Society Undergraduate Teaching Award. Nothing pleased him more than providing guidance and support to everyone and anyone, and as such always made himself available. Graduation day brought him joy every year, even during the pandemic, when he was the mastermind of a collaborative online game developed with the help of his students so that they could virtually graduate together and celebrate as a group. Bob also authored many publications, and two textbooks. His hard work was acknowledged publicly as he was interviewed on the local TV about EAE’s accomplishments.
Bob loved and wanted the absolute best for his family and never stopped helping his children pursue their passions. Movie nights and Disney trips with the family never went out of style. He loved to tell the kids funny stories every night and going on business trips never stopped him as he made sure to phone them to keep up the tradition. Bob was a lover of travel and was fortunate to be able to see many beautiful places in the world. He and his wife Julie especially loved going on cruises, and their blogs developed a following. Bob was an avid reader equally of non-fiction and fiction (especially science fiction). He also loved attending lectures on all topics. Bob had a lot of talents, was full of dad jokes, and had been virtually unbeatable in trivial pursuit. He was an accomplished golfer, and became skilled in anything he took an interest in. Most recently, during the pandemic, he mastered bread-making and the wood smoker. Bob will be forever missed and never forgotten. Survived by his wife and best friend Julie, children: Alex (Brenda) and Chelsea (Michaela), brother Jimmy (Traci), sister Patty (Pete), and many close friends and family members that he loved dearly.
If you would like to honor Bob, please consider a donation to the Kessler Family Scholarship Fund at the University of Utah, which aids the success of undergraduate students in the EAE video game design program:
https://ugive.app.utah.edu/designation/2324
The link goes directly to the giving page for EAE and your gift can be placed in memory of Bob. In the special instructions box, you can specify that your donation is for The Kessler Family Scholarship Fund.
In Loving Memory
Dear Julie, my heart is broken for you and your family. I am so sorry he got sick and died so young. Life is so precious-I am so glad you were able to do the things you did with each other and am so sorry things got cut short. He was such an amazing man and I know he will be dearly missed by you and your family and certainly by the staff and students at the University of Utah. Please know that I and the staff here at IMC OR send our love and condolenses to you and your family. I so badly wish you could have had many more good years together. It just is not right nor fair. He was a trooper to try new therapies and hopefully what was learned will help to develop cures sooner than later. As you know the sun rises each day and life continues on regardless of our losses and pain. It will get a little easier over time I promise. God Bless you and your family, sincerely, Gina Gramer
Dear Julie, Deepest condolences from myself and my family. Bob was the nicest guy I knew, and I was fortunate to have known him since I was hired at the U. Bob's passion in everything he took up was apparent. He is leaving behind the EAE program that is ranked #1 - what an amazing legacy! I am sure our many fond memories of Bob will continue to give you and your family the strength. Sincerely, Ganesh
To Bob's Amazing Family: I am so sad to learn of Bob's passing. Sending my deepest sympathies to you all. You are in my thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. May you find peace, comfort and much love in your many wonderful, cherished and happy memories. Bob was such an amazing man, and I am so lucky I had the priviledge of working with him. He was so caring and he truly loved working with students, faculty and staff at the U. He loved everything about the University, and it was fun to see him at football games and such. He was a truly wonderful and talented man and a wonderful friend, and I will miss running into him on campus. He will be missed by all who knew him. Sending love and comfort to you all at this time.
Dear Julie & Family, We we’re very sorry to hear of Bob’s death. Our deepest sympathy to all your family. We were/are happy to be very good friends from the time you were a young OR nurse at LDSH & Bob a graduate student in computer science. It has been a delight to have followed his superb academic success from graduate student to Chair of the Computer Science Department at the University of Utah. His successful Development of the EAE Graduate Program brought significant recognition and prestige to the University of Utah. We enjoyed rooting for the Runnig Utes Athletic teams for many years with you two. The loss of Bob at such a young age is truly tragic to everyone who knew him. We pray that memory of good times may sustain you in your time of grieving. Our love to you and all your families.
Julie, you and Bob bring smiles to my children's faces when they speak of fun hikes to the Mickey Mouse house. Bob's childlike joy will be long remembered.
I know it's been a while since he passed, but while I only knew him for a short time, he is one of many instructors who I'll definitely never forget. The one course I took from him and Ryan Bown (Rapid Prototyping) was more challenging than I thought because every week or so, we had to create a small slice of a game based on a different theme, using whatever framework/engine they wanted us to use, and many of us were still very new to Git so that made sharing source code even more fun. One of my favorite memories of Dr. Kessler was in our EAE lab; I saw him walking down the stairs and someone was talking about another student who also goes by Bob, but someone called him "Asian Bob" As soon as he heard, he stopped for a moment confused and said "Asian Bob?" before he finished walking down the rest of the staircase. I'm not sure if he ever figured out who Asian Bob is.
I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Professors Kessler. He was not just a teacher to me but someone who left an indelible mark on my life and career. One of my favorite teachers as I had the privilege of being his student at the U ~20 years ago, where his brilliance, humor, and dedication to his students made a lasting impression. His passion for computer science was infectious, and his guidance was instrumental in shaping my career path. I often think back fondly to his classes and the valuable lessons he imparted, not just in academics but in life as well. Know that his legacy lives on in the many lives he touched, including mine. Me and my college buddies still reminice of him and the time we spent in his classes. With deepest sympathy.
In Loving Memory
