David Isaac Kieselhof
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Mr. David Issac Kieselhof. Isaac, aged 84 years young, passed away in the early morning hours of Thursday March 4th, 2021. A late-stage Cancer diagnosis left him in highly undeserved pain in his last weeks of life. We were happy to, at the very least, be able to be by his side to witness his strength and unwavering kindness, and to help comfort and ease the days as best we could.
Isaac was an incredibly kind, smart, and thoughtful gentleman. He immigrated to Edmonton in 1977 with his wife Maria. They both worked hard to build a beautiful new life in Canada. Isaac was an Architect, and he loved his family and the city of Edmonton dearly. Isaac helped to shape the city and surrounding towns as we know them today--- Though he is no longer with us, his architectural work lives on, and can be seen in dozens of completed projects across Alberta.
Isaac is survived by his lovely life partner Maria, who is the mother of his two children; David & Esther. He is further survived by his brothers Alex & Mikhail, and his sister Elza, along with many other beloved members of the Kiselgof & Ostrovskiy families.
Isaac will be greatly missed. We hope he is well-remembered by the many people whose lives he touched, both on a professional and on a personal level. Isaac will live on in our hearts eternally, and our many wonderful memories of him will bring smiles to our faces for years to come.
Rest easy Isaac. We love you always.
Dearest Esther, Maria and David,
Your father may have passed on, but his love and legacy will live forever. He had a positive influence on the lives of his family, friends, and his community. He is with the angels now watching over all of you and will be in our hearts and prayers forever Please accept my sincere condolences.
Love Always,
Sheahan
Sending all my love to Isaac’s family Maria, Esther, and David. I didn’t know Isaac personally, but this obituary and his family’s love for him make it clear what a special person Isaac was.
Even though I was never fortunate enough to meet Esther’s father, I remember her telling me about how gentle, kind and compassionate he was. I see all of those traits in Esther as well. I know he will be greatly missed by his family and community. Sending my deepest condolences and love to you Esther, your Mother and Brother and the rest of your family.
My deepest condolences to the bereaved family members. May god rest Mr. Kieselhof’s soul in peace.
I am deeply saddened by the loss that you and your family have encountered. My deepest sympathies go out to you and I extend my deepest sympathies tyour family.
Please accept my deepest condolences during this time.
He was a legendary man who helped me create my first memories of Leningrad and die cast construction machinery models.
May he Rest In Peace.
My Dearest Family,
I am so saddened by uncle Isaac’s passing. Our family is now one Kieselhof smaller and the world is worse off for it. Regrettably I never got the chance to know him as well as I would’ve liked. And yet despite the distance between our two households, the few precious moments of time spent together revealed a familiarity that I’d known all my life. Seeing uncle Isaac through those thick rimmed glasses of his, the same ones that my grandfather, his brother wore as long as I’ve known him melted away the years and latitudes. This was indeed the kind of knowing that comes parceled with blood and family – his mannerisms, his phrasing, his gripes, his joy, and his kind heart are borne and bound with his brother, my grandfather Mikhail. I became acquainted with uncle Isaac almost entirely through the stories that my grandfather told me throughout my years – tales of childhood mischief, perseverance, hardship, and brotherly love. Uncle Isaac was the older brother of the family and gave most all of himself for the welfare of his siblings – through war and famine, strife and starting anew in a foreign land, his was an unwavering commitment to his siblings, and later to his children and family – that’s the uncle that I got to know.
Ours is a diasporic lot, scattered to the four winds, clinging to whatever clump of dirt we can call home. It’s no small tragedy when there is now one fewer of us to carry the torch. He will be missed but never forgotten. I look forward to adding to my treasure trove of stores with those told by Esther and David.
_Kevin Kiselgof
My dear friend Esther, Mrs. Kieselhof, and David,
I am deeply saddened by the passing of such a gentle man.
My childhood memories are full of his loving interactions with his family and his kindness towards me, within the walls of the beautiful, unique home that he designed. His warm smile, kind eyes, and soft chuckles still ring clear in my mind. He will truly be missed and never forgotten.
On behalf of the Barnett and Lake families, please accept my deepest condolences during this time.
~Anna Lake
Dear Esther, Maria and David
It is with such sadness that we extend our condolences to you and your extended family during this difficult time. I reflect on the many missed opportunities to get to know your amazing Papa, when I would wait outside instead of coming in when picking you up for our countless adventures, over 25 years of Friendship with you Esther. However I will Forever be grateful for the one occasion when I did bound up your front stairs to be greeted by your Papa at the door. I was so honoured to finally meet him and was mesmerized by the bright sparkle of his eyes, the strong and protective aura that he transmitted, yet so Kind in his approach and communication. There is no doubt how much he Loved you all and his incredible legacy will continue within you and carry you ahead. He now Protects and watches over each of you from an even higher perch and you will feel his presence just as he felt yours during his time of need. We all surround and lift you during this most difficult moment and send you our love, prayers, and thoughts.
Our condolences go out to Mrs. Kieselhof, David and Esther.
Aaron and myself lived on the corner of your street for many years. I met Isaac during the building of his home on our street. He was always cordial and friendly, even when the smoke from our fires drifted his way.
Blessed be his memory.
I am so sorry to hear the news of the passing of Issac. We live across the street from the family. Over the years, I have had some friendly conversations with Issac, and son David . Our condolences to Maria and daughter Esther and other friends and family. ~ Lorna Thomas, Phil Haug.
My dear friend David and family
I’m deeply sorry your family is experiencing the pain of a loss of the passing of a very important person in your life. I was saddened when you broke the news to me.
Even though I just have couple times met your father, I learned from you on how great a man he was and the wonderful relationship you had with him. My deepest condolences to you , your sister Esther and your mother. May our friendship and prayers ease you through this difficult time.
Our condolences go out to Mrs. Kieselhof, David and Esther.
Aaron and myself lived on the corner of your street for many years. I met Isaac during the building of his home on our street. He was always cordial and friendly, even when the smoke from our fires drifted his way.
Blessed be his memory.
Dear Kieselhof family,
My deepest condolences, I am very saddened by your loss. I was fortunate to be able to get to know Mr. Kieselhof over the past twenty years as I am best of friends with his son – and as a result I often had the chance to get to know him over the years as he would almost always welcome me into his home whenever there was an opportunity for a friendly chat in his living room. One time – about four years ago – he even helped me to pick up a couch in his vehicle, with him shifting gears behind the wheel, he was happy to help. I would frequently be greeted by Mr. Kieselhof with a welcoming smile, firm hand shake followed with friendly conversation. I found him to be gentle, intelligent yet humble, kind, warm and welcoming. I will always cherish our friendly chats and will miss him.
On the summer day I first met Isaac, he was dressed impeccably in shining shoes, crisp shirt, tie, and a blazer. It took my ego less than a few exchanged phrases to understand that the seeming formality, wasn’t for consequence of my arrival, but rather, an extension of his gentlemanly character. He spoke with the warmest gentle voice, and listened with a patience that was remarkable enough to stand out amidst the hurriedness of the world around. He surely had more pressing and important matters to attend to in his everyday, but each greeting could easily invite conversation, and each conversation would have given me his rapt attention. Regardless what nervous rambling might have escaped the mouth of my 20 something year old self, Isaac received me with sincere kindness that easily dispelled awkward predispositions.
My cognisance of the way he loved and treasured his family, made the way he accepted and made me feel welcomed, all the more meaningful. Over the course of those years as a young man madly in love with Esther, he always showed me to the table, rather than the door. Entrusting my capacity to love and care for Esther in the way I have, further endeared me to a circle of love and care Isaac made me feel a part of. Above all else, I was humbled by the gracious way he had always made me feel acknowledged, and accepted with a mutuality of the love I had to express. I like to imagine I had grown so much in all those years, but his fatherly wisdom and the delicate way he would allow me to steward my own direction, often revealed my naïveté in even just the corners of his perspicuous smile.
Through all the occasions in which I would share his company it was in the intimacy of the everyday that I recall most fondly, because it was then that I would truly have a sense of the way that gratitude for simple pleasures, are quintessentially foundational for deep meaningful joy.
Isaac taught me that his life was architecture, in the way the impossible can become possible, challenge overcome, that planning and measurement needed to be steered by a vision, and not the other way around. For me, he remains timeless, ever patient in his perfect shirt and blazer, framed by the brightest hues of an Edmonton sky in summer, and a smile that grows the more you near him.
Though I eventually could identify only a few spoken words of Russian, it should be telling that I learned to recognize and learn the phrases: How are you?, I miss you, and I love you, because these were the words he would use most often, at each conversation I overheard.
There are so many memories I have to hold on to as I once did him.
As the flowers he would so often bear, may his light shine forever on the blossoms that you tend.
All my love Maria, Esther, David