Daniel Ralph Seelye
Personal
Gender: Male
Date of Birth: February 7, 1940
Date of Death: September 16, 2017
Birth Place: Albion, MI
Death Place: Albion, MI
Daniel Ralph Seelye
February 7, 1940 – September 16, 2017
Daniel Ralph Seelye, age 77, of Albion, former downtown businessman, died Saturday evening at Oaklawn Hospital following a lengthy illness
Mr. Seelye was born on February 7, 1940 in Albion to Ralph V. and Gladys M. (Colegrove) Seelye. Dan was a graduate of Albion Washington Gardner High School, the class of 1958. He continued his education attending Kellogg Community College and Albion College.
In 1961, he married the former Carolyn Heidenreich in Albion. That marriage ended in divorce. Then in 1981, he married Ruth Spoor. She preceded him in death earlier this year on February 5, 2017.
Dan had been a steadfast contributor to the Albion downtown merchants and to the community of Albion. Upon finishing his formal education, he joined his father, Ralph, at the local family owned men’s clothing store and enjoyed a long partnership. Following his father’s retirement, Dan assumed the role of Own-Operator of the Seelye’s Men’s Wear. Dan was a long-time fixture in downtown Albion until 2003 when he retired and closed the store. The store had been in continuous operation for over seventy years. His years on Albion’s main street were not over, as he worked part-time for several years for John Lautenslager at Lautenslager-Lipsey.
Dan’s community service includes serving on the Zoning Board and Planning Commission Board for the City of Albion. He was a member of the Albion Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors and served as a Chamber Ambassador. Dan was a founding member of the Albion Area Ambulance Service and served as a volunteer attendant and also on it’s Board of Directors. Dan was also a founding member of the Sheridan Albion Township Fire Department.
He was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Albion, where he served his congregation in many ways over the years. He had also been very involved in the organizing the annual community festival, now known as the Festival of the Forks. He remained very active with the festival serving on the Forks Committee for many years.
He will be remembered by his family as a loving father and grandfather. Dan was always nicely dressed and was lovingly referred to as “Dapper Dan”.
He is survived by a daughter, Kim (Kent) Phillips of Albion; step-daughters, Stephanie (Edward) Haas of Albion and Elizabeth Garay of Manchester Center, Vermont; 7 grandchildren, Heidi (Adam) Phillips Bolinger and Joshua Phillips; Hailey, Logan and Thomas Haas; Mary and Cody Garay; and a special cousin, Thomas Sagendorf.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Ralph and Gladys Seelye; wife, Ruth Seelye and sister, Judy Wilds.
The family will receive friends on Tuesday from 5 PM to 8 PM at the Craig K. Kempf Family Funerals Homes, Marshall Chapel. A funeral service to celebrate the gift of his life will be held 1 PM Wednesday, September 20, 2017 at the funeral home with Reverend John Cantele officiating. A private family committal service will be held at a later date.
Friends who wish may make memorial contributions to Oaklawn Hospice or the Albion Historical Society. Assistance with memorials is available at the funeral home.
Published online by the Craig K. Kempf Family Funeral Home
[Great-Grandson of SGS # 2628 – Daniel Ralph; Ralph; Edgar Barnabus;
Barnabus H.(#2628); Vincent/Vinson (#946); Seth; Justus; John; Benjamin; Nathaniel; Robert]
