Lieut. Comdr. Charles S. Seely
Personal
Gender: Male
Date of Birth: June 16, 1892
Date of Death: October 9, 1969
Birth Place: Seneca Falls, NY
Death Place: Rapidan, VA
Lieut. Comdr. Charles S. Seely
Lieut. Comdr. Charles S. Seely, 77, USN (ret.), died Thursday, October 9, 1969 at his home at Rapidan. World traveler and author, he had recently returned from a four months’ tour of Africa.
Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Saturday from Salem United Methodist Church, Rhoadesville, conducted by Rev. Zolton Phillips with burial in church cemetery in charge of Preddy’s Funeral Home. Military rites were conducted by American Legion Post 156 and V.F.W. Post 2217 of Orange. Pallbearers were Tom Willoughby, Ned Coleman, Alex Waugh, Ed Sparks, Tony Preddy and Roger Holladay. Honorary were members of the two service posts.
Comdr. Seely was born June 16, 1892 at St. Just, son of the late Joseph and Sallie Hillman Seely. A veteran of World War I, he retired from the Navy in 1934 and devoted his time to travel and writing books on philosophy. He was listed in “Who’s Who in America”.
Surviving is one daughter, Harriette Seely Atkinson of Burnside, Ky.
Seely estate leaves $21,680
SENECA FALLS – Retired Navy Commander Charles S. Seely who died in October 1969, left a bequest of $10,000 to the Seneca Falls Historical Society; $3,000 of this is to be used as a fund to perpetuate the Seely Room in the museum, and $7,000 is for the museum itself; plus one-forth of the residue. During February the last check incorporating that residue came from Commander Seely’s estate. The Seely Memorial Fund totals $18,680 plus the separate account of $3,000 for the Seely Room.
Commander Charles S. Seely, USN (ret.) and a native of Seneca Falls was the grandson of Carlton White Seely, the first Republican mayor of Seneca Falls, elected in 1854. Commander Seely after his retirement spent many days in Seneca Falls looking up old family records, visiting local cemeteries and libraries to complete his family history. He spent much time with a former director of the museum, Mrs. Virginia Martin and assistant, Mrs. Joan Miller.
Commander Seely designed and put together a room to house the mementos of his family in Seneca Falls. The North’s part in the Civil War and the underground railway are pictured there. Also displayed are treasures from foreign lands collected during Commander Seely’s trips abroad.
The Orange Review (VA), October 16, 1969
