Shelly Seeger
Shelly Ann (Whiteford) Seeger, 54, of Santa Cruz, CA, died peacefully Saturday, October 10 at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz. She was born December 2, 1965, in Traverse City, MI, the 7th and youngest daughter of Donald and Patricia (Martin) Whiteford.
Shelly graduated from Traverse City Central High School in 1984. She made her way to the San Francisco Bay Area a few years later where she attended San Francisco City College earning a degree in Restaurant and Hospitality Management. Shelly spent the majority of her career in the restaurant industry beginning in Traverse City and then at many Bay Area restaurants. She was a highly regarded and much loved general manager, becoming the youngest manager of a top San Francisco restaurant when she was promoted to general manager of Kuleto’s Tratorria on Powell Street, at the age of 32. Shelly also held management positions with corporate food service companies, including Aramark in Silicon Valley. After deciding she no longer wanted to commute from Santa Cruz to work, Shelly opened her own business, Modern Etiquette. She taught many children, adults and UC Santa Cruz students the importance and art of dining etiquette.
On November 20, 2007 Shelly was united in marriage to Bernhard Seeger during a beautiful week-long celebration on Canouan Island. They enjoyed traveling all over the world together and relaxing at their homes in Santa Cruz and Maui. Shelly loved spending time with family and friends, whether it be hosting a dinner with Bernhard at their home, camping at Arbutus Lake in Traverse City, Thanksgiving at her sister’s in Sahuarita, AZ or in Germany with Bernd’s family. She adored all of her nieces and nephews and cherished the time she was able to spend with them over the years. Shelly was an excellent cook, an avid foodie, a competitive Euchre player and enjoyed sudoku. She was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, where she also volunteered her time. Shelly will be greatly missed by her husband, mother, five older sisters and kitty-cat, Mozart and all who were blessed to know and love her. She was a kind, fun, loving and empathetic person who enjoyed living life to its fullest.
Shelly is survived by her beloved husband Bernhard Seeger of Santa Cruz, mother, Patricia Whiteford of Traverse City, mother-in-law, Lore Seeger of Lahr, Germany, her five sisters Mary (Joe) Pickard of Sahuarita, AZ, Pamela LaPlante of Los Gatos, CA, Penny Whiteford Pass of Elk Grove, CA, Jeanie (Dave) Chavalia of Kingsley, MI and Angela (Wyman) Friske of Traverse City, Goddaughter, Isabella Koselak of Los Gatos, brother’s-in-law, Robert Swaney of Traverse City and Wolfgang (Melitta) Seeger of Stuttgart, Germany, paternal aunt’s Marcy Sleight, of Traverse City and Bonnie Bailey of Galveston, and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Shelly was preceded in death by her father and stepmother, Donald and Carol Whiteford, eldest sister, Christine Whiteford Swaney, nephew, Benjamin Reid, brother-in-law, Bruce Pass and brother-in-law, Joe Reid and both sets of grandparents.
A funeral service is scheduled for 11:00am on Friday, October 23rd at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 435 Monterey Ave., Capitola. A Celebration of Shelly’s life will be held in Traverse City, MI, next summer.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Shelly’s name to the Santa Cruz SPCA, SPCASC.org, would be greatly appreciated by her family.