Mary Frances Seaver

She was born on August 31, 1929 in Buckhannon, WV, the youngest of four children born to Lulu Gatchell Stoffel and Emmet Earl Stoffel. She was a graduate of South H.S., Denver, CO 1946, and the Univ. of CO-Boulder 1950, with master’s degrees from Morehead State Univ.-Morehead, KY (in Adult and Continuing Education) and the Univ. of NE-Lincoln (in Educational Psychology and Gerontology). She was a Diaconal Minister in the United Methodist Church. She worked as an office assistant, a homemaker, a teacher, an educational therapist with adult psychiatric inpatients in Omaha, NE; in outreach with two different churches in Lincoln, NE and with the Estes Park, CO Health Dept. with WIC for seven years. She lived in ten different states and if asked where she was from, she might say the USA or mostly Colorado.

In 1950 she married Harry J. Newman. They separated in 1977 and were divorced in 1978. In 1981 Mary married Rev. LaRoy E. Seaver in Lincoln, NE. Mary and LaRoy retired to Estes Park, CO in 1991, where she first volunteered at the Estes Park Library, then at the Estes Park United Methodist Church as successive chairs of Evangelism, Education, and Missions and Social Justice committees.

Mary loved raising her four children, the outdoors, the mountains, hiking, snowshoeing, swimming, reading and learning. She was admired by many for her commitment to lifelong learning and to social justice, and her insightful and attentive correspondence.

She is survived by her four children: Linda Newman (Lon Coleman) of Highland Heights, KY and Estes Park, CO; Nancy Newman (George Boatwright) of Louisville, KY; John Newman of Batavia, Ohio; and Paul Newman (Donna Newman) of Orlando, FL, four stepchildren: Judi Seaver of Ft. Calhoun, NE; Mark Seaver (Andrea Sedlak) of Monrovia, MD; Miriam Seaver of Vancouver, BC; and Tim Seaver (Laura Mills) of Hillsborough, NC. Mary is also survived by three grandchildren: Mary Boatwright of Sturgis, SD; Madeline Boatwright of Boulder, CO; and Lucas Boatwright of Pullman, WA; six stepgrandchildren: Don Boyle of Loveland, CO; Cristina Wolff (Jason Tiedtke) of Omaha, NE; Sky Sidner (Anne Proulx) of Omaha; Diane Seaver of Omaha; Cheryl Sedlak Seaver (Greg Norman) of Clarksburg, MD; and Chase Seaver (Katherine Calvin) of Granville, OH; two step great grandchildren in Omaha; numerous nieces and nephews from HI to CA to TN; and sister-and brother-in-laws Mary Alice Thornton (Dave) of Palo Alto, CA and Bill Newman (Mary Anne) of Boyne City, MI. In addition to her parents and her three older siblings (Virginia MacDonald of HI and CA, Anne Dunning of NM, and Bill Stoffel of CA), Mary was preceded in death by her 1st husband, Harry Newman (Aurora, CO), her 2nd husband, Rev. LaRoy Seaver (Estes Park, CO) and a stepson (David Seaver of Richland, WA).

A Celebration of Life will be held on October 21 with a service beginning at 12:30 pm at the Upper Cookout shelter at the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park. Please bring a dish to share for a potluck. Dress for the weather, and we hope you will be comfortable, casual, and colorful. If the weather is not friendly, we will meet instead at nearby Assembly Hall B, in the same building as the Ruesch Auditorium, also at the YMCA of the Rockies. Mask wearing is strongly recommended and requested. Instead of flowers, please consider a donation to the National Kidney Foundation, in care of the Allnutt Funeral Home, Estes Park. Please visit www.allnuttestespark.com to leave a message for the family.