James Grove Seely


James Grove Seely

James Grove Seely, 89, a retired travel agency executive, died of pneumonia Sept. 12 at home in Washington.

Mr. Seely was in the travel business in Washington for 40 years, and he had been vice president of World Wide Travel, Ambassador Travel and Land Sea Air Travel before retiring in 1985.

He was born in Atlanta and grew up in Asheville, N.C. In 1932, he graduated from Yale University, then worked in banks in Asheville before moving to Washington in 1940.

During World War II, he served in the Navy in the Pacific aboard the aircraft carrier USS Hornet and in the Atlantic.

He was a member of St. David's Episcopal Church and the University Club in Washington, the Chevy Chase Club, the Yale Club of Washington and the Military Order of Caribao.

Survivors include his wife, Mary Louise Thompson Seely of Washington; two sons, James Grove Seely Jr. of San Francisco and Contee T. Seely of Berkeley, Calif.; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Published in The Washington Post, (DC) - September 13, 1997