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Seymour Parter Obituary
Seymour Victor Parter
June 9, 1927 - Oct. 21, 2022
MADISON - Seymour Victor Parter, age 95, of Madison, WI, passed away peacefully on Friday, October 21, 2022, at his home. Seymour was born on June 9, 1927, in Chicago, IL. He became acquainted with hard work at an early age, when he took over running of his family's restaurant as a teenager. He earned a B.S. degree and an M.S. degree in Mathematics both from the Illinois Institute of Technology, while continuing to run the family business.
In March 1951, Seymour left Chicago for the remote mountains of New Mexico, where he became a staff member at Los Alamos National Laboratories. It was here that he was introduced to serious scientific computing and became friends with many outstanding mathematicians and physicists. In October 1951, he was handed a manual for a new computer (the SEAC) and sent to Washington to program the computer for Los Alamos.
In 1953, he was sent to New York to work on the new UNIVAC computer for Los Alamos, where he also enrolled in graduate school at the Courant Institute of Mathematics and earned his Ph.D.
Seymour has described the 1957 - 1958 academic year as his most important year; he met his wife Ruth while horseback riding near Boulder, Colorado, and he learned to ski. While never explicitly stated, Seymour felt that skiing was a requirement of his marriage with Ruth. They traveled the world together, always hiking and being adventurous.
Ruth and Seymour were married in October 1957, and celebrated 65 years of marriage this month. They raised two sons who are both computer scientists.
His long career at the University of Wisconsin Madison started in 1963, with a joint appointment to the Mathematics and Computer Science departments, including a stint as the chair of the Computer Science department.
Seymour is survived by his wife, Ruth; his sons: David and Paul; daughter-in-law, Susan; and grandchildren: Alicia, Ezra, and Danielle.
There will be a small graveside service at Beit Olamim Cemetery at Sunset Memory Gardens on Tuesday, October 25, 2022, at 12:00 noon. Tuesday evening, there will be a Shiva via Zoom
Please share memories at www.cressfuneralservice.com.
Cress Funeral & Cremation Services
3610 Speedway Road
(608) 238-3434
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Janice Gratch
October 24, 2022
Please accept our sincere condolences during this difficult time. Our family lived next door to Ruth and Seymour for almost 20 years. Over the years we were very friendly neighbors, and enjoyed many conversations with Seymour and Ruth. We also met their children and grandchildren on a number of occasions. As a math educator, Seymour and I enjoyed many conversations. We also were questioned by the FBI at one point, when they were updating their security check for Los Alamos. We were always amazed by the adventures Seymour and Ruth always seemed to be enjoying. May Seymour´s memory be a blessing. Warmly, Janice Gratch
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Peter Orlik
October 24, 2022
Seymour was a valued member of the Old Guys, a group of retired mathematicians who met for Friday lunch before the pandemic and on zoom since. His colorful stories from his interesting life and his deep insights into life's mysteries were much appreciated by all of us. We will miss him.
The Staff of Cress Funeral & Cremation Service
October 23, 2022
Offering our deepest condolences during this difficult time.
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