Richard "Dick" Harlan Seeley

Dick, the son of Harlan and Beth Seeley, was born on October 25, 1953 in DeSmet, South Dakota. He grew up in South Dakota and attended South Dakota State University in Brookings, SD, to become a civil engineer. He met Dawn DeVries at SDSU, and the two were married on August 25, 1979. They lived in Brookings until 1982, when they moved to Florida, where their first child, Michelle, was born. In 1989, the family moved to Spencer, Iowa, where Michael and Laura were born and the family made their home. He spent 35 years loving and devoting his life to Dawn, before she passed away in 2014.  

Dick was an airline pilot, flying for Great Lakes Airlines in Spencer, and then for 22 years at United Airlines. He flew the world over, from Alaska to Venezuela, opening the world of travel to his family, who flew along on vacations. He retired as a Captain in 2018. He loved spending time with his family (at horse shows, plays, and soccer games), aviation, watching James Bond movies, and hunting pheasants. His joy, spread through Looney Tunes impressions and corny jokes (“Knock, Knock.” Who’s there? “Dwain.” Dwain who? “Dwain the bathtub, I’m dwownding!”) and kind gestures touched uncountable lives.  

Dick was an active member of Hope Reformed Church in Spencer, IA and showed Christ’s love in word and deed. To honor Dick’s joy in Christ, please make someone smile with a kind deed or joke in memory of him. 

Dick is survived by his children Michelle and Dustin Reynolds of Ruthven, IA, Michael and Mandy Seeley of Oak Harbor, WA, and Laura and Mitchell Wiemers of Ruthven, IA; grandchildren: Brooklynn Reynolds and Brayden Reynolds; Dawn’s parents, Edgar and Phyllis DeVries of Sheldon, IA; sister, Janet and Mike Dahlen of Iowa City, IA; sister, Judy and Gary Lee of Omaha, NE; and many other relatives and friends.  

SERVICES

OFFICIATING

CASKET BEARERS

VISITATION

MUSIC

INTERMENT