Seth Richard Tanguay

Seth Richard Tanguay passed away on January 22, 2026, in Chandler, Arizona. The youngest of four siblings, he was born on June 17, 1981, in Tucson, Arizona.

A child of the 1980s, Seth enjoyed a free-range childhood and could be found roaming the desert barefoot in search of reptiles, playing My Little Pony and Transformers with his older siblings, or running Capture the Flag with family friends long after dark. He wasn’t like most children. When asked what he wanted to be when he grew up, his answer was once, “a grizzly bear or The Black Stallion.” Adulthood eventually took him in a more pragmatic direction —he saved fantasy for his voracious reading habit.

After high school, Seth attended Elim Bible College in upstate New York. When he began to question his faith, he left to pursue a career in engineering. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Arizona State University while working third shift loading trucks at FedEx. His professional life was wide ranging: from engineering roles at a nuclear power plant and an Apple parts supplier, to throwing pizzas at Willington Pizza, tutoring autistic children, and helping a friend grow a natural sunscreen business. In his later years, Seth found fulfillment in his work as a Quality Engineer at Verigon in Tempe, where he worked up until his passing.

Seth led an interesting—if often contradictory—life. He spent much of his time close to home, yet traveled widely, including to Thailand, Japan, Mexico, Canada, and China. Though he often preferred solitude, he was happiest when engaged in a meaningful conversation with friends and family. Animals and children were instinctively drawn to Seth, a fact he quietly enjoyed despite his insistence to the contrary. For these reasons, and many others, those who knew Seth admired him deeply and cherished him dearly.

A philosopher at heart, Seth loved plumbing the depths of the human condition, often leading to periods of intense self-reflection. These bouts of soul-searching contributed to his tendency toward absent-mindedness—a trait his loved ones found both endearing and maddening, especially when walking into a conversation begun mid thought, or a drawer left ajar. He considered himself a stoic, a quality evident in his careful and deliberate approach to life. He kept a memento mori in his desk drawer. Still, his stoic logic often failed to contain his passionate spirit.

Seth loved fiercely, though expressing his feelings did not always come easily. Instead, he demonstrated love through unwavering loyalty, never hesitating to defend those he cared for. An atheist with a strong moral compass, Seth despised cruelty and hypocrisy, particularly when justified by ideology. He refused to compromise his principles—including his support of the LGBTQ+ and other marginalized communities—even when doing so came at great personal cost. When given the opportunity, Seth eagerly entered into debate, often declaring checkmate before the other person realized they were playing chess.

Later in life, Seth developed a more cynical view of the world. This cynicism, combined with personal traumas he rarely spoke of, contributed to a long struggle with alcohol. Yet even then, Seth tempered his pessimism with a sharp, dry sense of humor. He had a remarkable ability to find the absurd in nearly any situation, delivering perfectly timed asides that landed with laughter half a beat later. He used humor to both navigate social anxiety and communicate his deepest convictions. In his later years, that humor grew increasingly satirical as he grappled with political extremism and the rejection of science and reason—trends he found deeply troubling.

In addition to his love of philosophy, science, and making people laugh, Seth enjoyed a good epic fantasy or sci-fi novel (the longer the better, even when authors showed a disturbing willingness to kill off beloved characters), role-playing video games that rewarded patience and strategy, television series spanning an impressive range of genres, and cooking for himself and those he loved. Above all, Seth cherished long—and often meandering—conversations with a loved one. He did not always make life easy, but he made it honest, and often unexpectedly funny. He will be deeply missed.

Seth is survived by his mother, Lori; his siblings and their partners, Freya and Cari, Carla and Darrell, and Anna and Joshua; as well as his four nephews, niece, great-nephew, and great-niece. He was predeceased by his father, Richard, and his grandparents, Robert and Donnie, and Armand and Agnus.

Those wishing to honor Seth’s memory may consider making a donation in his name to the Freedom From Religion Foundation at www.ffrf.org.