We are very saddened in announcing the passing of our dear brother, friend and comrade David Kessel this week.
After a week stay at Royal London Hospital for heart and kidneys check ups, sadly David passed away on the 8th March 2022 in his flat in Stepney.
The very inspiration in F.E.E.L. being born, he will forever stay in our hearts.
The funeral is taking place at
4pm Thursday, 31 March 2022
Manor Park Crematorium Sebert Rd, London E7 0NP
(next to Manor Park Station)
Manor Park Crematorium Sebert Rd, London E7 0NP
(next to Manor Park Station)
David's family is kindly inviting everyone that knew him to gather for the service. A reception will follow right after at 4:30pm at the Golden Fleece Pub, 166 Capel Rd, next door to the Crematorium.
Please, kindly confirm attendance with a brief reply by Wed 30 March.
Please think about friends of David that are not currently using the internet and inform them of the service if you can.
Sincerest condolences to David's family and friends all over London and beyond.
Wishing you peace, comfort, courage, and lots of love at this time of sorrow.
Wishing you peace, comfort, courage, and lots of love at this time of sorrow.
Please find:
David's Bio and some memories here: 
Obituary for David Kessel, by Alan Morrison
David's Eulogy, shared by his son Tom at the funeral:
After my Dad passed, I felt the urge to write down some words that I associate with him. These are both personal and general. I hope that I am able to capture some of David’s character, and that you can recognise some of these descriptions.
Like us all, David was many different things to many different people.
A son and a grandson of course; a brother to Paul; and later on a father and a grandfather.David was a proud father in fact, who would often embarrass his teenage son, when I came to visit,by introducing me to randoms in the street – and shopkeepers in particular (David loved corner shops).
David was a community GP in his adopted Eastend, but he found his true calling as a poet of course.A poet, a writer, an artist, a thinker, a listener – a good listener.
David was a schizophrenic, and that could be difficult and challenging for those close to David, and probably terrifying for my dad.
But David never hid from his condition. Instead, he embraced it. He embraced the identity and the community as a whole where, I believe, he found a sense of belonging and purpose.
David was a friend, a comrade and a counsellor who sought understand his condition so that he could help others.
A campaigner, an activist, a disorganised organiser, but at times a pessimist and a bit of a hypochondriac, who would often speculate on his own demise.
A forecaster, a meteorologist, a weather lover – particularly bad weather. A map lover – a passion inherited by myself and my son Sol.
A lone ridge-tent camper, a hill walker, a city walker, a Londoner, a lover of London – except perhaps Hampsted, though he did love Hampsted Heath and his mother Peggy. David loved his mum very much.
A dog lover, a gentle nature lover. David loved the countryside. A romantic. Tall, dark, handsome and hairy.
A product of the ‘60s: duffle coats, jazz, spoken word.
A feminist, a pacifist, a socialist, an anti-fascist, an anti-capitalist who was never really comfortable with money.
An outsider, a survivor, a soul searcher, a chess player, a park lover, a café dweller – both greasy spoons and the cheap Bangla kind, like Shalamar’s in Whitechapel. ‘Come over, I’ll buy you a curry’.
A one-time chain smoker, a nicotine quitter, a black coffee drinker.
A sweet-tooth: Fry’s Turkish Delight, Dundee fruit cake. Old Skool English flavours: Tiptree jam,Marmite, Cheddar cheese – and even a bit of cricket.
Scotland – flyfishing; Italy – Arezzo; Wales – the cottage; Broadstairs – Granny Emmie.
A geographer, a book devourer, a historian with a mixed identity: part Jewish, part Christian, part atheist, non-conformist, humanist.
A quiet agitator with intense dark eyes
A lover of community and solidarity and First World War poetry, who sought to express and understand himself through his own writing – and perhaps, in some ways, to heal himself also.
David believed in, and practised, self-therapy through poetry.
Poetry, politics and mental health were at the heart of David’s true identity.
He didn’t shy away from the darkness. He embraced his conditioned and openly wrestled with it.
In spite of his schizophrenia, and perhaps also due to it, David lived a full, independent and rich human experience.
The past ten years or so have been good years for me and my dad and our relationship. Im gonna really miss sitting with him in his flat in Stepney and just talking about our shared interests and loves. I’m very proud of all that my dad achieved and I love him very much. Thank you.
A dog lover, a gentle nature lover. David loved the countryside. A romantic. Tall, dark, handsome and hairy.
A product of the ‘60s: duffle coats, jazz, spoken word.
A feminist, a pacifist, a socialist, an anti-fascist, an anti-capitalist who was never really comfortable with money.
An outsider, a survivor, a soul searcher, a chess player, a park lover, a café dweller – both greasy spoons and the cheap Bangla kind, like Shalamar’s in Whitechapel. ‘Come over, I’ll buy you a curry’.
A one-time chain smoker, a nicotine quitter, a black coffee drinker.
A sweet-tooth: Fry’s Turkish Delight, Dundee fruit cake. Old Skool English flavours: Tiptree jam,Marmite, Cheddar cheese – and even a bit of cricket.
Scotland – flyfishing; Italy – Arezzo; Wales – the cottage; Broadstairs – Granny Emmie.
A geographer, a book devourer, a historian with a mixed identity: part Jewish, part Christian, part atheist, non-conformist, humanist.
A quiet agitator with intense dark eyes
A lover of community and solidarity and First World War poetry, who sought to express and understand himself through his own writing – and perhaps, in some ways, to heal himself also.
David believed in, and practised, self-therapy through poetry.
Poetry, politics and mental health were at the heart of David’s true identity.
He didn’t shy away from the darkness. He embraced his conditioned and openly wrestled with it.
In spite of his schizophrenia, and perhaps also due to it, David lived a full, independent and rich human experience.
The past ten years or so have been good years for me and my dad and our relationship. Im gonna really miss sitting with him in his flat in Stepney and just talking about our shared interests and loves. I’m very proud of all that my dad achieved and I love him very much. Thank you.
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