John Sealy

1940 - 2020

JOHN SEALY Burlington, Vt. John Sealy of Burlington and Grand Isle, Vt., died Dec. 5, 2020. He died peacefully at home from Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. Jane, his partner and wife of 32 years, and dear friends, Barb and Dean, were at his side. John, the youngest son of Dorothy Robinson and James Lincoln Sealy, was born and raised in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He admired his father's inventive skills and followed his brother Jim's footsteps into engineering and Hawkeye territory at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. He studied electrical engineering and after graduation in 1964, he headed to IBM Yorktown Heights in his VW Bug. John and his former wife Ginny lived with their growing family in Monrovia, Md., and then Jericho, Vt., where they made lifelong friends, notably the Quicks. John enjoyed the creativity and cutting edge nature of his work developing new technology and chips that powered the fast moving computer industry throughout his career. John retired after 26 years at IBM and loved retirement: computer chip jewelry design, gourmet cooking, camping adventures in the Keys, fly fishing at West Branch Pond, California wine country, white water rafting on the Salmon, scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef, and many days relaxing by the water at Bahia Honda, Key West and Grand Isle, preferably with a glass of red wine and a cigar. He is survived by his wife, Jane Mekkelsen; his daughter, Kathie Sealy; and granddaughters, Isabella and Mikayla from Essex Town; Mike Sealy, his wife Gabrielle and granddaughter, Ana from Burlington; Kevin Sealy and grandchildren, Christian and Sydney from Florida; and his former wife, Virginia (Ginny) Sealy from Essex Town. As well he leaves the Mekkelsen family, Bruce and Laurie and their children, Olivia, Ashley, Jenna and John; Connie and Larry Cherrier and their daughter, Emily (Kyle) Doyle; and his in-laws, Grace and John Mekkelsen. He leaves his sister, Sharon (Shae) Cadwell of Arizona and dear nieces and nephews in Cedar Rapids, San Diego and Arizona. John leaves a large vibrant village of friends who filled his life with adventures, play and laughter. In the last several years, John had a variety of medical adventures and miracle recoveries. We are grateful to our network of traditional and complementary medical supports as well as many truly gifted healers. If you are inclined to do something to remember John, he would like you to take a great bottle of red wine to a favorite body of water and enjoy it with dear friends or family. A celebration will be held this summer at the Mekkelsen compound in Grand Isle at the discretion of the family and his ashes will be spread in Lake Champlain with the view of the mountains, loons and ospreys he loved so much. The family invites you to share your memories and condolences by visitingwww.awrfh.com.