Michael Wayne Seely
Michael Wayne Seely (Mike) of Dorset, VT passed away in Palm City, FL on November 21, 2021 at the age of 76 due to complications associated with a near twenty year battle with cancer.
Mike is survived by his two sons, Lucas and Michael, two grandchildren Ian and Frederick, wife Margaret Mithoefer (Meg), sister Brenda, niece Kelly Reilly (and her family Bryan, Emma, and Colin) and daughters-in-law Alexandra and Allison, respectively. He was predeceased by his father Ernest and mother Amelia.
Mike was born on June 7th, 1945 in Portland, Maine to parents Ernest and Amelia Seely. By the age of 12, Mike had lived in five different cities until his parents finally settled in the small rural town of Barre, Vermont. Mike graduated from Spaulding High School where he excelled scholastically. Mike was a recipient of the William Randolph Hearst Award, as well as being a junior representative for the state of Vermont. His academic successes in high school awarded him a scholarship to Dartmouth College. Upon graduating from Dartmouth in 1967, Mike moved to NYC obtaining his MBA from NYU and he worked in financial services. In 1979, Mike founded and launched Investor Access Corporation, which he built, led, and ultimately sold in 2001. During this time, Mike lived in Greenwich, CT where he could be found playing golf, fishing on the Long Island sound with his two children, and traveling to St. Lucia where he was a long term resident. Upon semi-retirement in 2002, Mike relocated from Greenwich, CT to Dorset, VT to be with his partner Meg and it was there he could be seen reading, playing more golf, and taking up a range of new hobbies. Mike was also an author, penning several books over the course of his life.
As a devoted father, Mike instilled in his children the importance of hard work, creativity, risk taking, honesty, and living a life of purpose. As a husband, Mike was completely devoted to his wife Meg with whom he enjoyed travel, community building, and learning. As a big brother, Mike was protective, supportive, and loving. As a friend, Mike was relied upon in times of challenge and controversy and was the first to celebrate and cherish other’s accomplishments.
Mike was an idealist. He wasn’t interested in group think but rather in thinking for oneself. He believed in the power of the individual to craft a better course for themselves and their community. Never one to shy away from a difficult discussion, Mike was in a constant pursuit of the best perceivable form of the truth and devoted his life to learning. He was passionate about literature, history, and economics. Mike engaged with the world around him with an openness that is best reflected in the broad array of relationships, experiences, and adventures he accumulated over the course of his life. Mike wasn’t religious, but rather, very spiritual. Mike didn’t conflate feelings with facts, but rather used facts to substantiate his feelings. He was a ferocious reader always seeking out new insights and perspectives to advance and improve his experience with the world, his family, and his friends. Mike’s achievements in life are most visible in the impressions he left on those around him, impressions that are numerous, deep, and lasting. He will be dearly missed.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to the D.O.V.E. Fund - dovefund.org. It is a charity that Mike supported and held close to his heart.