Vee Charles Seal
Vee Charles Seal was born on May 29, 1944, in Carlinville, Illinois, to Vance Calvin Seal and Edna Virgine Smith Seal. He died on March 3, 2024, in Albuquerque, NM, with his wife, Mary, at his side.
When Vee was 7, his parents decided to flee Illinois for warmer climes, so they moved to southern California in 1951 and settled in Lemon Grove. After graduating from high school, Vee attended a year of college, but then the itch to work got to him. He was hired by Robert Hall Clothes to move to Albuquerque and close down one of its stores.
Vee inherited his musical talent from both his parents and he put it to good use throughout his life. He had a beautiful bass baritone voice and sang in high school and college choirs, as well as church choirs and barbershop quartet groups as an adult. He was the choir director at Church of the Good Shepherd in Albuquerque for several years and for one year at Sandia Presbyterian Church. He wrote and directed several annual shows for The BorderChorders, a barbershop quartet group in El Paso. He was in a number of musical productions with Albuquerque Civic Light Opera Association (ACLOA) and it was in “Finian’s Rainbow” where he met Mary Abernathy in 1981. They were married in 1982. Later that year he received his bachelor’s degree from University of New Mexico.
Vee was fascinated by geodesic domes and after showing a few to Mary, she agreed that it would be a good idea to build one. (“Oh, all right, I’ll live in a dome. ”) They built the house of their dreams in Bernalillo, New Mexico, lived in it for about a year, and then moved to El Paso for four years for Mary’s job. When they returned to Bernalillo, they had added to their family, having adopted their son, Christen Bradford Seal. They had a good life in Bernalillo. Two and a half acres in the bosque with big cottonwoods, donkeys, sheep, chickens, dogs, peacocks – and for ten years they had an annual pig roast which drew their friends from far and wide. In 2007 they sold the dome & moved into Albuquerque.
Parkinson’s struck in 2016 and the Seals gained a whole new group of friends and support at Rock Steady Boxing. The Rock Steady program, and our wonderful neighbor Camron Lewis, helped Vee maintain his mobility for longer than he otherwise would have, and the fighters and spouses he and Mary met there remain treasured friends.
Vee was a low-key kind of guy most of the time, but he was a ham. If there was a talent show or a Christmas play in the offing, he was there. He dressed up once as Chita Rivera complete with a rose in his teeth. (There is photographic proof.) He was Jack Sparrow for the church Hallowe’en carnival. (Again, evidence.)
Vee loved God and his family, in that order. He and Mary were married for nearly 42 years at the time of his death, and they loved each other dearly. Church was always an integral part of their lives wherever they lived, and music and singing in the choir was the part of worship that gave Vee such happiness.
Vee was preceded in death by his parents, Vance Calvin Seal and Edna Virgine Smith Seal. He is survived by his wife, Mary Abernathy Seal; his son, Christen Bradford Seal (Abby Gray); daughters Laurie Ghannam (Ralph) and Vickie Seal; granddaughters Lauren Ghannam, Jennifer Ghannam, and Hannah Ghannam; and grandson Kristian Seal. He is also survived by his sister, Susan Travis (Roy) and her two children, Kelly Kane (son, A.J.) and Mark Kincaid (Elise) and their children (Matthew and Lucy). He is also survived by his two sisters-in-law, Anne Abernathy O’Rourke (children Mary Catherine Herring and Tiegh O’Rourke and their families) and Catherine Abernathy.
The family wishes to thank the caregivers of By Your Side Homecare, Inc., particularly Keisha, Matthew, Valerie, Felicia, Treina, and Amanda, who provided gentle and attentive care to Vee and support to Mary over the last three years. Vee also received hospice care from Hospice de la Luz since May of 2022, and the family is so grateful for the professional and devoted care provided by Dr. Joy Lovette; Roslyn, Vee’s excellent hospice nurse; and the CNAs who visited Vee twice a week throughout that two years. We also thank former caregiver Stephanie, who has regularly reached out to the family with concern and good wishes. Those phenomenal caregivers and healthcare professionals enabled Mary to keep Vee at home through the end of his life.
Cremation has been handled by Cremation Society of New Mexico. A memorial service will take place on Saturday, June 1, 2024, at 11:00 AM, at Sandia Presbyterian Church, 10704 Paseo del Norte, NE, Albuquerque, NM 87122; 505-856-5040. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Sandia Presbyterian Church in Vee’s name. The family would appreciate you remembering us in your prayers.