In Remembrance: Axel W. Kairies ’70 Died on July 20 2025

View full image

Axel W. Kairies of Rochester, New York, passed away July 20, 2025, following a courageous, lengthy battle with cancer. Many of Axel's enduring traits were nurtured during his years at Yale. His inquisitive and creative mind was given free rein in an atmosphere that encouraged and also challenged him in his studies. His friendships were built on respect, generosity, and kindness, attributes that he embodied up to his last days in hospice care.

Axel initially moved to Rochester from Miami, Florida, in the 1970s to study Zen Buddhism with renowned teacher and author Phililp Kapleau, who had established the Rochester Zen Center. Axel was a devoted disciple of Zen and incorporated its core principles into his everyday life. He was an active member of the Zen Center up until his death, and his many friends there extolled his compassion, devotion, and sense of humor. 

Axel impacted the lives of so many people in countless positive ways and on so many different levels. He moved seamlessly among the three worlds of his life with vigor and passion: his Zen community, the University of Rochester Labs, and his beloved fellow artists studio called Group in the Loop.  In the spring of 2025 he celebrated his 50th year of employment at the University of Rochester Labs Blood Bank. As an admired and respected staff member with myriad responsibilities over five decades, Axel was a mentor and true friend to dozens of Blood Bank employees as well as other staff at Strong Memorial Hospital. He would bring a bouquet of fresh flowers from the Farmer's Market every week to brighten the office. He also humored his fellow employees with his antics, in particular his elaborate costumes each Halloween. And in true altruistic fashion, Axel was the mainstay of the medical center's annual United Way campaign, which he successfully chaired for many years. 

As a founding member of the Group in the Loop, a close-knit core of artists who shared a studio space in Rochester, Axel pursued his passion for painting and drawing, mainly of the human form. He was by and large self-taught and doggedly strived to grow his obvious talent. The group would meet on a regular basis once or twice per week and included amateur as well as highly accomplished artists. After his death, the Group put up a memorial exhibition of Axel's best work over the years held at their new, much larger studio space into which they had previously moved. It was a great party and a tribute to Axel's journey and maturity as a fine artist. 

Axel is survived by his brother Hans, sister-in-law Donna, nephew Nico, and niece-in-law, Emily.

—Submitted by the family.