USS SLC...Enlisted Navy...Michael H. Van Kessel, RM2c

Michael H. Van Kessel passed away on July 18th, 2005

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Mar. 28th, 2001
Ho Sandy,

I served on the SLC the years 1942 through 1945 as a Radio man Second Class "C" Division,

Thank you very much.
Yours
Michael Van Kessel

Funeral Mass for Michael H. Van Kessel, who died Monday, July 18, 2005, at Halifax Medical Center, Daytona Beach, will be 8:30 a.m. Thursday, July 21, at Our Lady Of Hope Catholic Church, Port Orange. Interment will follow at Volusia Memorial Park, Ormond Beach. Viewing hours at Volusia Memorial Funeral Home, Port Orange, will be today (Wednesday) from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. with a prayer vigil service at 7 p.m.

Mr. Van Kessel was born in Webster, Wis., and moved to Miami in 1925 at the age of four. He lived in Vero Beach for 20 years before moving to Port Orange in 2003. He was a member of Our Lady of Hope Catholic Church, Port Orange, and previous member of Holy Cross Catholic Church, Vero Beach, where he was an usher.

Mr. Van Kessel was a Navy radioman veteran of World War II. He retired from Dade County Public Schools after 30 years and was also a residential contractor, building many homes in Florida. He was quite involved in Indian River Habitat for Humanity, Vero Beach, where he and his wife, Mildred, volunteered for over 12 years and were honored as "Volunteer Couple of the Year" in 2003.

He was a proud member of U.S.S. Salt Lake City Association, lifetime member of V.F.W. and Knights of Columbus, where he was chairman of the fund-raising committee for special needs children.

He loved outdoor activities such as, fishing, camping, snowskiing (which he started in his 1960s), whitewater rafting and traveling.

Mr. Van Kessel is survived by his loving wife of 58 years, Mildred; daughter, Dr. Mev Waskiewicz, New Smyrna Beach; two sisters, Harriet Harris, Hollywood, Fla., and Florence Vaingat, Pembrook Pines; and granddaughter, Kristin Waskiewicz, Tampa.

He was predeceased by his daughter, Leslie Christine Van Kessel. The family kindly requests memorial contributions to Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, 1080 Woodcock Road, Ste. 245, Orlando, FL 32803, and/or Indian River County Habitat for Humanity, 4568 N. U.S. Hwy. 1, Vero Beach, FL 32967.

Michael is #29 in Radio Gang, 1941-1945
Tidbits from Hugh Southern
Radio Gang List
SLC Deck Log Feb. 1943
Remembered by James R. Murphy, RM1c