Jim Seeley
Personal
Gender: Male
Date of Death: January 12, 2020
Birth Place: Jerome, ID
Death Place: Bandon, OR
Jim Seeley
Jim Seeley of Bandon, Oregon passed away on January 12, 2020, after a nine month battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 77 years old. Jim was born and raised in the small farming community of Jerome, Idaho and was the son of Richard and Victoria Seeley. He began playing golf at the age of ten and it quickly became his lifelong passion and avocation.
Jim graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1964. Following graduation, Jim served six years in the fleet which included two tours in Vietnam. Subsequent to his deployment, Jim served on the faculty of the Naval Academy teaching Leadership, Management, and Naval Tactics for two years before deciding to follow his heart and enter the golf business.
Jim was a Life Member of The Professional Golfers’ Association of America. A fine player in his early career, Jim played in several PGA TOUR events and qualified and played in the 1977 (British) Open Championship at Turnberry.
Prior to joining PGA TOUR Golf Course Properties in 1984, Jim was the General Manager and Director of Golf at Prince Georges Country Club in Landover, Maryland. During his 11 years with the PGA TOUR, Jim was the General Manager and Director of Golf at the Tournament Players Club at Eagle Trace in Coral Springs, Florida and the Tournament Players Club at Avenel in Potomac, Maryland, both of which were PGA TOUR tournament stops.
Following his tenure with the PGA TOUR, Jim joined KemperSports Management in 1995 where he was the Executive Vice President of Operations for 17 years. His oversight of numerous KemperSports managed properties including Bandon Dunes Golf Resort led to his being named in 2008 as “One of the Most Admired Operators” by Golf, Inc. magazine.
After retiring in 2011, Jim and his wife Rae moved to Bandon, Oregon where Jim was named the first Executive Director of Wild Rivers Coast Alliance (WRCA). He served in this position until January 2020.
Jim is survived by his wife of 55 years, Rae; sister, Vickie Jacobs (Ron); brother, Don Seeley (Terri) and sister, Peg Montgomery.
A celebration of Jim’s life will be held February 11 at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Published online by Westrum Funeral Service
[Great-great-grandson of SGS #2337 – James Richard; Richard H.; James Ross; Hyrum; Justus Wellington (#2337); Justus Azel (#836); Justus William; Joseph; John; Benjamin; Nathaniel, Robert]
