Arthur Charles Hessler — scientist, teacher, leader, and beloved husband, father and grandfather — passed away on June 25, 2026. Those who knew him will remember his intelligence, leadership and generosity and will miss his sometimes wicked sense of humor.
Arthur was born in Burlington, Wis., in 1941. The only child of Arthur S. and Esther (Markham) Hessler, he enjoyed an idyllic childhood exploring the woods and waters of rural Wisconsin before graduating from Burlington High School. As one of his classmates said to him in recent years, “You belonged to a different tribe” — a tribe focused more on social outlets than on studious pursuits. He found his calling, however, and completed a bachelor’s degree in biology at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Curiosity led him to Eastern Michigan University, where he earned a master’s degree while working with a faculty member who had similar research interests. More importantly, he had the good fortune to meet Mary Katherine MacMichael, who became his wife following a brief courtship and moved with him to Vermont after Arthur received a National Defense Fellowship that supported his doctoral studies in tissue regeneration at the University of Vermont.
Following the completion of his doctorate, Arthur began his teaching career at Saint Michael’s College, an initial two-year appointment that became a 27- year commitment. He enjoyed working with his students at Saint Michael’s in both the classroom and the lab and was awarded by the faculty with the college’s first recognition of Excellence in Teaching. Shortly thereafter he left the classroom to become the college’s first associate academic dean. In 1998 he accepted the position of dean of the college and vice president of academic affairs at Bridgewater College in Virginia, where he managed student affairs, directed academic programming and expanded learning opportunities for students. He became heavily involved in the accreditation of academic programs and enjoyed working with both the faculty and his administrative colleagues.
Early in his years at Saint Michael’s, he and Kathy were blessed with the birth of daughter, Amy, and son, John. As much as he and Kathy enjoyed living in Virginia, they returned to Vermont in retirement to spend time with their children and their now adult grandchildren, Joshua and Katherine Kelley and Jackson Hessler, who knew him as “Grandpa Heart,” the instigator of shenanigans. In retirement, Arthur was an avid reader and a dedicated member of several community organizations. He hopes to be remembered for his service to his church and his neighborhood and wishes to thank Ken and Eileen (MacMichael) Behmer for adopting him into their extended family following his marriage to Kathy. Arthur’s dear wife, Kathy, passed away in December 2025, just one day after they celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary. As she said shortly before her passing, “We have had a very good life together.” And so it was.
A celebration of Arthur’s life will be held on Saturday, July 18, 2026, 11 a.m., at All Saints Church in South Burlington, Vt.