Elaine Diane Schlesinger Kiesel
November 25, 1949 - December 27, 2013

In the early morning hours of December 27, 2013, Elaine Diane Schlesinger Kiesel went very peacefully to her heavenly home to rest in the arms of her beloved Messiah.
Elaine was born in Melrose Park, Illinois in 1949. In Elaine's own words, "I made my debut into the world exactly one month ahead of schedule. I was supposed to be born on December 25th. I would have been another Jewish kid born on that famous day! But, I came into the world on Friday, November 25th, the day after Thanksgiving. The family teased my Mom Ida that she ate so much on Thanksgiving, that she left me no room and pushed me out early."
Elaine had very happy memories of her childhood growing up in Berkeley, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. She remembered with special fondness the frequent extended-family gatherings in her family's large suburban backyard and the warmth and wisdom of her mother Ida. Often she was recruited by her mechanically skilled father for special projects around the house. "One day I was helping my Dad lay tile on the floor in the bathroom. He said to me, 'Elaine, when you grow up and have children, I'll come over and help you fix things in your house and your children will help me.' I said, 'Oh no, you can't.' He said, 'Why not?' I told him, 'When I have children, you'll be old and wrinkled with no teeth, and you'll scare my children.'" She enjoyed very positive school experiences, often citing some of her own teachers as inspiration in her own teaching career.
Elaine met her husband Richard while the two of them were working their way through college at a Thom McAn shoe store. They were married in a simple ceremony. As Elaine described it, "There was some light snow coming down that day. As I look back, it was like the beginning of a beautiful fairy tale for me. Of course Richard was late getting to the courthouse where we were wed. We had a small but loved-filled wedding reception."
Elaine and Richard were mightily blessed by the birth of David while still living in Chicago. Shortly after, Richard received a divine call to his first teaching position in Ocala, Florida, where Gregory, our second great blessing, was born. In 1980 Elaine and her young family moved to Kansas City where, since both children were now in school, she worked as a preschool aid, an experience that confirmed her long-held goal to become a teacher.
While caring for her husband and two sons as well as her recently widowed mother, Elaine determined to return to school, attending the University of Missouri-Kansas City from which she received a BA in Education, graduating Cum Laude. Elaine was a member of the academic honor society Phi Beta Kappa.
Elaine's first teaching job in Kansas City was a challenging one. As the least experienced newest hire, she was assigned the lowest achieving first graders, to whose classroom she still managed to bring excitement and excellence in achievement--each of her students achieving more than a year's academic growth.
Our family moved in 1987 to South Florida where Elaine taught first at Our Savior Lutheran School for nine years and then at St. Mark's Lutheran School for fourteen years. At both schools Elaine became known for imaginative classroom activities, creative art experiences, stimulating field trips, and the directing of an annual Fourth Grade Play. As a member of St. Mark's congregation, she was a recurrent participant in dramatic presentations as make-up artist, set designer, stage manager, and frequent performer.
When St. Mark's Lutheran School closed, Elaine was, of course, saddened for many reasons, especially because she would miss teaching her much-loved fourth graders. For the past three years Elaine worked as an office manager at Faith Lutheran School, which enabled her at least to continue interacting with children and ministering to them in her loving and unique way.
Elaine has always been fiercely proud of her two sons David and Gregory. David is a graduate of the Massachusetts of Institute of Technology and received his masters from Georgia Tech. Gregory received both his bachelors and masters degrees from Georgia Tech. Immensely dear to her were her daughters-in-law, David's wife Becky and Gregory's wife Jennifer. Their wonderful lives together and her grandchildren brought Elaine enormous happiness.
Elaine is survived by her husband Richard; her two sons David and Gregory; her brother Marvin Schlesinger and sister Phyllis Chinn; and five grandchildren: Maggie, Nathan, Lauren, Elizabeth, and Sam Richard. Over the last several years Elaine grew particularly close to her mother-in-law Doris Cyga, herself a cancer survivor. Their almost daily phone calls were a great comfort and encouragement to Elaine. Elaine was preceded in death by her parents Samuel and Ida Schlesinger, and her sister Rochelle Anderson.
The viewing for Elaine will be at the Fred Hunter Funeral Home, 2401 South University, Davie, Florida, on Thursday, January 2, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. The funeral service in remembrance and celebration of Elaine's life will be held on Friday, January 3, at Our Savior Lutheran Church, 8001 Northwest 5th Street, Plantation, Florida. Our Savior is located on the corner of University and 5th Street. The service will begin at 4:00 PM.
Elaine requested that, in lieu of flowers, memorial gifts might be offered to Jews for Jesus, 60 Haight Street, San Francisco, California, 94102-5895 or to the mission outreach of the Lutheran Church called The Apple of His Eye, PO Box 6977, St. Louis, Missouri, 63123. Elaine found such strength and peace in her love for Jesus that she wanted all of God's Chosen People to hear the Good News that Y'shua is the promised Messiah.

Tributes