John Kieger, Cleveland photographer, dies at 56

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- John Kieger, a professional photographer and dedicated father, died March 13, of injuries suffered in a car accident. He was 56.

A memorial service was held April 13 at Fairmont Presbyterian Church, and a second service will take place on April 28 at the Cleveland Buddhist Center.

Kieger was born in Cleveland, the second son of Edward Frank Kieger II, a vascular surgeon at St. Alexis Hospital and Elizabeth Ann Kieger, a French teacher and real estate agent. He grew up in Cleveland Heights, attending Roxboro Middle School and Cleveland Heights High School. As a teenager he worked in retail at May Co. department store, and as a server at a country club.

Even as a teenager, Kieger was interested in photography. At his memorial service, his cousin, Ben Rosenbaum, recalled: “John’s older brother’s teenage rebellion took the classic form of heavy metal and motorcycles—tough guy stuff—but John was never very interested in being tough. He was interested in creation and connection. He was already falling in love with photography, so his teenage rebellion involved catching his mother yawning or blinking on film, photos that he found hilarious. John didn’t mind provoking, getting under your skin, but his provocations, just like his acts of service and love, and caring and his enthusiasms, were always about getting closer. The world is colder without him and his irrepressible laugh.”

Kieger graduated from Allegheny College, where he majored in political science, which would remain an interest throughout his life. “He was very into politics,” said his daughter, Carissa Kieger. “He would always stay up to date and text me about all of the different candidates for the upcoming election.”

Kieger had a long and accomplished career as a freelance photographer. “What he was known for was his meticulous technical expertise which is highly valued in commercial photography,” said his aunt, Karen Rosenbaum.

“He really liked to have vibrant colors and warm tones in his photography,” said his girlfriend, Carrie Miller.

In addition to commercial projects, Kieger focused on portrait and wedding photography, jobs for which his affability served him well. “He enjoyed weddings because it was fun to participate in that really joyful time in people’s lives. He just liked the energy that comes with weddings,” Miller said.

Kieger was a proud Cleveland native who relished in bringing visitors to its best restaurants and pointing out its history during walks around the city. “He knew the stories of many of the buildings around Cleveland. Walking downtown, he had a story for just about any place we would go,” Carrie Miller said.

“He was a big booster of general Cleveland activities. That was something he cared a lot about,” Karen Rosenbaum said.

Kieger loved cuisine, travel, craft beer, live music, and kayaking. But above all, Kieger valued his friends and family. “He always put a priority on relationships. That was where he found value in life—the people around him,” Miller said.

“He was first and foremost a wonderful parent,” Rosenbaum said. “He showed such pleasure and pride in anything his children did. He was more involved than a lot of fathers in his children’s day-to-day activities. He supported whatever they were interested in.”

“I always saw him as a teddy bear,” Carissa Kieger said. “He always gave the best hugs and was very loving and affectionate. He was so incredibly supportive and caring. The amount of dedication he gave to my life was incredible… He would often tell me and my brother that his greatest accomplishments was having us.”

“He lived enthusiastically and was very happy,” Rosenbaum said. “Everybody who knew him appreciated his endless energy. He was an optimistic, personable, charming, exuberant person.”

He is predeceased by his brother, Edward Kieger III, and his father, Edward Kieger II. He is survived by his mother, Elizabeth Ann Kieger, his children, Carissa and Will Kieger, and his girlfriend, Carrie Miller.