SEELEY, DAVID RAY passed away Sunday December 19, 2004. He was born to Sarah Jane and Ray Seeley on June 30, 1937 in Cottonwood, OK. He grew up in Durant, OK and attended Durant High School where he played basketball and was on the track team. After graduation, he attended Southeastern State College for two years and transferred to Oklahoma University where he received his BA in Architecture. It was in Norman, OK, during his years at OU that his son was born and he became a father for the first time. He then moved his family to Clovis, NM where he worked as a draftsman. Shortly thereafter he move to Dallas where his daughter was born. He settled in Richardson, a suburb of Dallas, for the next 40 years. His first position as an Architect in Dallas was for the firm of Broad & Nelson where he worked on projects such as the Merchantile Bank. He also worked for Harwood K. Smith and other firms throughout his career. His specialty was Construction Administration, working between the designers and contractors. He had a way with people, and working to find solutions, which is what this position demanded. Some of his major projects included Dallas Baptist College, Reunion Arena, and the American Airlines Center. He was also involved in the construction of the American Airlines terminal at DFW airport. Some of his projects took him away to places such as Charlotte, NC where he worked on a hotel, St. Simons Island, GA for a golf course club house, and Edmond, OK for their hospital renovation. He also worked on many schools and hospitals in the DFW area. He was an avid sportsman with a heart for competition. With every sport he pursued he competed and excelled. He enjoyed scuba diving and spear fishing in his early years, competing in Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. This gave way to go-carts where he raced in the Dallas area. From there he moved to motorcycles, riding a sport called Trials. He competed in this sport for more than 25 years. During those years he was a founder of the North Texas Trials Association, a club which hosted many events throughout the North Texas area, including a World Round competition in 1982. It was after this event that he became a diplomat in the North American Trials Council, which is responsible for the organization of national and international events. His later life was filled with fulfilling a life-long dream of becoming a pilot and flying all over the country. He attended fly-ins at Osh Kosh, WI yearly and enjoyed small trips to places such as Santa Fe, NM so he could eat at his favorite resturaunt. He flew to the Bonneville Salt Flats yearly to help his friend Wiltz Wagner and his daughter Belan win numerous land speed records. He even married his second wife in his plane on a very windy day, an adventure the pastor is said he is not likely to repeat. David loved life, and lived it to its fullest. His love for family and his dedication to them was a testament to his heart and kind spirit. He was also a true friend to many and always looked forward to motorcycle events and meeting with his high school friends every month for lunch. He had many plans for his retirement years such as traveling and being able to spend more time with his grandchildren whom he adored. His life was tragically cut short and we will all sorely miss him. He was preceded in death by his father Ray N. Seeley, survived by his wife Mary Brown Seeley, his son Myk Sealy, of Richardson, TX, daughter Kathy Billings, her husband Richard, and their children, who were the apple of his eye, Rick, Kyle and Stefani, of McKinney, TX and their grandmother Gaylia Seeley, of Bokchito,OK, his mother Sarah Jane Seeley of Durant, OK, sisters Gail Hudson, of Dallas,TX, Jane Rember, of Brennen, WA, and Susan Morrow, of Sherman, TX, niece, Debra Bryant, nephews, John Hudson, Wes Morrow, and Jake Rember, and many great-neices and nephews, cousins, aunts, and uncles. Funeral services will be held at the Coffee-Murray Home in Durant, OK at 3:00 p.m. Thursday, December 23. He would be honored with memorials in his name to the charity of your choice.
Published in The Dallas Morning News on 12/23/2004
[Great-great-grandson of SGS # 3274 – David Ray; Nello Ray; George Whitefield; Ralph Linwood; Ezekiel A. (# 3274); Ezekiel (# 1431); Ezekiel; Obadiah; Obadiah; Obadiah; Obadiah]
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