Obits
UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Edward “Ed” Edgar Seely passed away peacefully at home on March 4, 2021, in Upper Lake of natural causes in the care of his children.
He was born on Nov. 3, 1932, in San Jose, California, to Edward M. and Mildred E. Seely. His parents grew pears in San Jose until 1955 then purchased the Lewis R. Dorn pear orchard in Upper Lake where Seely Orchard and Seely Farm Stand on Highway 20 became local landmarks.
He graduated from Santa Clara High School and received a two-year certificate in agriculture and pomology from UC Davis in 1953. He was drafted into the Navy and served at Hunters Point Naval Yard in San Francisco.
In 1958, he married the love of his life, Frances Ann Davis. She was his partner and bookkeeper in their family business and were married for 53 years.
Ed and Frances added many more acres and crops to the ranch including walnuts then wine grapes. In his mid-50s, when others are starting to consider retirement, Ed became a winegrape grower. He was a meticulous and conscientious farmer and took great pride in his ranch.
Ed and his wife loved to take family ski vacations and in later years enjoyed many vacations together traveling the world to South America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii and China. Many of these trips included agriculture tours in those countries.
As a younger man, Ed was an active member of the Kelseyville Lions Club and later a board member of the Kelseyville Packing Co., California Canners and Growers and Soil Conservation Service. He was a Boy Scoutmaster for many years when his boys were active in that. It was then that he discovered his love of backpacking and enjoyed many trips with the kids and their friends.
A kind man, he was quick to help his neighbor and fellow farmer, offering his good sense of humor, sound advice and generous support throughout the community of Upper Lake.
Edward is predeceased by his parents, Edward and Mildred Seely; wife, Frances Seely; and son, Jeff Seely.
He is survived by his children, Colleen (Norman) Rentsch of Lakeport and Eric (Cherie) Seely of Kelseyville; his grandchildren, Jessica Rentsch, Stephen Seely, Allison (Greg) Fricker, Mitchell Seely, Justin Seely and Ryan Seely. Ed is also survived by his sister, Betty Kjeldgaard of Eugene, Oregon, who later became his travel companion, with their trips including one around South America.
As a celebration showing his love of farming, a small tractor parade will start at 12:30 p.m. on Main Street in Upper Lake on Saturday, March 20.
Donations can be made to FARM PAC (#760960) – 2600 River Plaza Drive, Sacramento CA 95833.
Arrangements by Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary, 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611, or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com.
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Jeffrey Alden Seely passed away on Nov. 28, 2020.
Born Jan. 17, 1961, he spent his life in Upper Lake where he attended Upper Lake schools.
He attended college in San Luis Obispo before returning home to farm with his dad on the family’s ranch. He was a farmer for over 30 years.
He loved music, the outdoors, backpacking, fun adventures and took great pride in the restoration of his Victorian home.
Jeffrey was predeceased by his mother, Frances Davis Seely; his ex-wife, Cindy Abel Seely; and grandparents, Elmer and Dixie Davis.
He is survived by his sons, Justin and Ryan.
Due to COVID circumstances, private services were held.
Arrangements by Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary, 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611, or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com.
Born Jan. 17, 1961, he spent his life in Upper Lake where he attended Upper Lake schools.
He attended college in San Luis Obispo before returning home to farm with his dad on the family’s ranch. He was a farmer for over 30 years.
He loved music, the outdoors, backpacking, fun adventures and took great pride in the restoration of his Victorian home.
Jeffrey was predeceased by his mother, Frances Davis Seely; his ex-wife, Cindy Abel Seely; and grandparents, Elmer and Dixie Davis.
He is survived by his sons, Justin and Ryan.
Due to COVID circumstances, private services were held.
Arrangements by Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary, 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611, or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com.
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County lost a singularly adventurous, generous and fun-loving soul when William Magoolaghan Jr. of Clearlake Riviera passed away on Feb. 28, 2021.
Born in Brooklyn, New York on Feb. 18, 1940, to English-Irish immigrants William Sr. and Mary Ellen Magoolaghan, the younger William (aka, "Bill”) spent his early years in Queens Village, New York, attending Power Memorial High School.
Bill married Theresa J. on June 24, 1961, after meeting her through his youngest sister, Mary. They remained inseparable and happily married for almost 60 years.
In his 20s Bill worked for Metropolitan Life Insurance in New York City while attending St. John's University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in business.
After living in Levittown, Long Island for five years, during which time their family’s size expanded to seven, Bill and Theresa (aka "Maggie") moved to Phoenix, Arizona, in 1973. They were the first on either side of their families to move beyond a five-mile radius of their relatives’ households.
In Phoenix Bill worked in the burgeoning field of information technology for Siemens and Greyhound/Armour-Dial, while attaining a Master’s of Business Administration at Arizona State University.
Moving to the San Francisco Bay area in 1985, Magoolaghan worked as an I.T. manager for Fireman’s Fund Insurance in San Rafael. Having delivered a crucial Y2K project ahead of time and under budget by employing programming students from local colleges to debug the company's code, Magoolaghan retired in 1999.
Prior to moving to Lake Country, Bill and Maggie lived in Rohnert Park, where they hosted a number of foreign exchange students who attended nearby Sonoma State University, where Maggie also earned a bachelor's degree in psychology. Several of those students later invited the Magoolaghans to visit them in their home countries. Thanks to those invitations Bill and Maggie were able to explore the cultures of Japan and Thailand. They remained in touch with the former SSU students for several decades.
Bill spent his retirement in Lake County enjoying his favorite pastimes: playing golf, volunteering for his community and church, traveling, taking adult education courses and spending time with his ever-expanding family. He served as the Lake County Fair commissioner and held multiple volunteer roles for the Kelseyville Unitarian-Universalist Church, the Lake County Democratic Party and the Lake County Grand Jury, and the Kelseyville Food Pantry. He was also active in Lake County’s Sons in Retirement group, or SIRS, group, with whom he planned and participated in multiple golf tournaments and trips, including to the famous course in Pebble Beach.
Bill is survived by his wife of 59 years, Theresa (aka, “Maggie”) Magoolaghan; his five children and their spouses, Michael, William III (Buddy), Betti, Alison, Paul and Kate, and Amy and Tom; nine grandchildren, T.J., Timothy, Angela, Eleanor, Charlotte, Gabriella, Liam, Cole and Madison; and his beloved dachshund, Murphy.
In lieu of flowers, his wife and family suggest making a donation to St. Jude’s Children's Hospital or another charity of choice.
A celebration of Bill's life will be held at a later date once the COVID pandemic subsides.
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
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