Maurine Brevoort Seely

May 28, 1924 – April 4, 1998

Publication Date: May 1998 – SGS Newsletter

Maurine Brevoort Seely, a 46-year resident of Carson, passed away on April 4, 1998 after a 3-month battle with bone/lung cancer. She is survived by her husband of 48 years, John Robert Seely, their children Robert Shannon Seely and Leone Sanders Seely-Johnson, and their grandson, Brian Allister Seely. She is also survived by her two sisters and brother, Esther Rudo of Pennsylvania, Dorothy Smith of Missouri and Earl Brevoort of North Carolina. Maurine was pre-deceased by her eldest son, Maurice Eugene Seely, in 1971.

Maurine, the eldest child of Maurice John Brevoort and Ota Alva Sanders was born May 28, 1924 in Lincoln, Nebraska. In 1946 she graduated from Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and recently attended her 50th year class reunion. She was an active member in the Daughters of the American Colonists, Daughters of the American Revolution, National Society United States Daughters of 1812, United Daughters of the Confederacy, The Society of Mayflower Descendants, the Seeley Genealogical Society as well as the New England Historic Genealogical Society and the National Genealogical Society.

In 1965 Maurine returned to work as a Medical Social Worker for the county hospital system. She transferred to the Welfare Department as a Child Welfare worker, where she worked until June 1983 when she retired.

Maurine was a devoted and loving wife and mother. She enjoyed traveling and doing genealogical research. She volunteered one afternoon each week to help visitors do their research at the Family History Center in Torrance. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends.

A Celebration of Life service will be held in the Chapel at Green Hills Cemetery on April 9th at 3 p.m.

OUR CONDOLENCES

As genealogists we deal with birth, marriage and death dates as a matter of course. This nonchalance ceases with the death of someone close to us. Such is the case in the death of Maurine Seely on April 6, 1998. Evelyn and I have known John and Maurine since we attended the SGS Reunion in Fort Wayne, IN, in 1986. Maurine was the consummate genealogist, never taking any data for granted, but needing solid confirmation. She conducted classes at each reunion in genealogical research techniques, and when I, as president, asked her to take on a responsibility, she never hesitated to give a resounding “Yes!”.

Our deepest sympathy goes to John and his family. Maurine will be greatly missed.

Marshall B. Seelye
Immediate Past President
Seeley Genealogical Society

A STAR HAS FALLEN FROM OUR CONSTELLATION

A star has fallen
from the constellation of my friends;
but her light will shine
in our memory.

We seek no answers to explain
for reasons have no meaning
in the face of such a loss.

Our faith in HIM who fathered man
must be our guiding light.
We live and trust
HIS way was right.

by: John Robert Seely, 1998