Necrology

Donald William Seyba '57

Aug. 2, 1930-Jan. 28, 2023

Donald William Seyba ’57 died on Jan. 28, 2023, in Sun City, Ariz. Born on Aug. 21, 1930, in Rochester, N.Y., he graduated from East High School in Rochester in 1948. From there he entered the U.S. Army and served during the Korean War. He came to Hamilton in 1953 accompanied by his wife, Kathryn, a registered nurse whom he had married in November 1951 in Seneca Falls, N.Y. They resided in the North Village with other military veterans and their families, and their first child, David, was born in December 1954. Don majored in French and mathematics, was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, and served on the staff of The Spectator.

Following graduation, Don and his family moved to Niagara Falls, N.Y., where he worked in the sales department of The Carborundum Co. until 1961. In the course of a conversation over lunch in New York City, his classmate Jerry van Dijk ’57 urged him to consider working for IBM. Two weeks later, Don began what turned out to be a 28-year career with that corporation. He, Kay, and their children relocated to Ridgefield, Conn. It was there that Don, who had always liked running, joined the Ridgefield Wolfpit Running Club and participated regularly in their races. On at least one occasion, he participated in the Marine Corps Marathon, which begins and ends in Arlington, Va., while winding through parts of Washington, D.C.

His work involved travel to Europe and East Asia. In the course of the 1980s, he and Kay lived in Tokyo for four years, during which time Don developed a marketing strategy for the Asia Pacific region. This was followed by further assignments in Hong Kong and Thailand. While in Japan, they learned what Don later called “taxicab Japanese” and used that skill to acquire prints and furniture as they traveled throughout the country. 

After 28 years with IBM, Don retired in 1989 and turned his attention to other interests. He traveled to the Shelter Institute in Bath, Maine, in 1993 to attend a workshop on home construction. He took what he learned and totally rebuilt the family’s home in Ridgefield over a two-year period. Then, following their relocation the next year to the Phoenix suburb of Sun City, Ariz., he participated in the construction of their new, now permanent, home. 

In retirement, Don and Kay continued to travel to, among other places, San Francisco, this when a plane ticket was only $59, and San Diego and Los Angeles, both within driving distance. Both were bridge players and readers, he of books on mathematics (one of his undergraduate majors) and physics, she of fiction and The New York Times crossword puzzle. Sadly, Kay fell victim to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and, after battling it for approximately six years, succumbed on Sept. 19, 2011.

Don was extraordinarily loyal to the College in large part, as he explained in his 50th reunion yearbook, because “the greatest gift from Hamilton was that it gave me a lifelong desire to continue learning. … If I had to give advice to incoming students, it would be not only to hone the skills and interests you already have, but take a look at some areas that will become far more significant later in (your) careers.”

Hamilton’s “greatest gift” was amply repaid by Don’s engagement as an alumnus. Chosen president of his class in 1957, he took it upon himself to publish the Hamilton ’57 Newsletter, a short version of the alumni magazine with news of the College as well as of classmates. A regular donor to the Hamilton Fund, Don was an early advocate of the Joel Bristol Associates and took it upon himself to recruit 12 classmates to become members.

When competitive rowing became one of the College’s intercollegiate sports in 1998, Don raised the funds necessary to provide the men’s crew team with a new rowing shell after pledging two-thirds of the cost himself. Careful to avoid distracting classmates from the Hamilton Fund, he successfully solicited support for this cause from those who were not regular donors. Early that September, the rowing shell Kathryn Seyba arrived at the College.

Don and Kay regularly hosted Hamilton’s Phoenix Area Alumni Association as well as members of the College’s Communications & Development Office during their visits to the Southwest. He also facilitated networking between older alumni in the area and young ones who benefited from having mentors. Moreover, over the years, he supported the Priorities for Hamilton capital campaign, chaired his class’s reunion gift committee, and served on the Alumni Council.

In 1999, the Council initiated the Hamilton College Volunteer of the Year Award. Don was the inaugural recipient. His citation included reference to the large number of initiatives Don undertook on behalf of the College. It concluded: “Someone has credited you with an idea a minute, and we are grateful that, with your driving energy behind them, so many have been translated into reality.”

Donald W. Seyba is survived by his three daughters, one son, seven grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

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