Flora H. Seymour

Flora H. Seymour
December 12, 1928 - October 12, 2025
Flora Haley Seymour, affectionately known to her close family and friends as Pie, passed away peacefully in her home on Sunday, October 12, 2025. Born in Rankin, Pennsylvania in 1928, Pie came of age in an era that often placed boundaries around what Black women could dream. A proud 1950 graduate of Howard University, she joined the Alpha Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and was part of a generation of thinkers and doers. A student of Psychology, she graduated magna cum laude. She also studied French and German, and later learned Spanish and American Sign Language, as she viewed education as a way of understanding one's self, one's community, and humanity.
Married in 1952 to Robert ("Bob") F. Seymour, MD, Pie and Bob made their homes in Washington, D.C., Kentucky, and the Cleveland area, specifically Shaker Heights, Ohio. She filled her homes with warmth, books, and love. Pie was constantly seeking to expand her knowledge and that of her family, and was a member and frequent visitor to Cleveland's museums, visual and performing arts venues (Karamu, Playhouse). She was also a loyal patron of the Cleveland Orchestra for over fifty years. Additionally, she found peace in sailing, as she and Bob sailed the waters of Lake Erie,the Chesapeake Bay, and throughout the Caribbean.
Pie was preceded in death by her beloved parents (Leo and Louise Haley), her older twin brothers (Milton Haley, DDS and Melvin Haley, MD), her husband (Bob), and son (Stephen). She is survived by son Marc and his wife Doris, daughters Lauren and Leslie, daughter-in-law Pat, and a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, cousins, and dear friends who will continue to bask in the light she left behind.
Pie lived a life defined by quiet strength, grace, intellect, and unwavering love. She was a granddaughter, daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, cousin, friend and confidante. All of these were roles through which she imparted the breadth of her wisdom and her deep sense of care. She had a steadfast presence that anchored all of those around her. Pie shaped possibilities for family, immediate and extended, as well as her community.
Pie was civically and socially engaged. She found joy in connection and community. She was an avid bowler, snorkeler, and traveler who delighted in seeing the world, reading widely, and spending time with family. She was also an active member of several community groups, including Shaker Heights' PTAs, the Carousels, Couples Club, and the Medical Wives, weaving a rich tapestry of life and culture alongside other Shaker Heights trailblazers committed to spaces of belonging and joy for generations to come.
Her life reminds us, as Kahlil Gibran wrote, "You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give."
She gave of herself fully. She did so through patience, intellect, love, and grace. Her influence remains woven into every life she touched, and her spirit continues to guide in the way she guided us in life: quietly, consistently, and with enduring light. She is part of our past, our present, and undoubtedly a part of all of our futures. Her strength, her elegance, and her way of being in the world will continue to live on in all of us.
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