Obituary published on Legacy.com by Givnish Funeral Home - Marlton on Jan. 24, 2023.
Sean Michael Fleming left us on Saturday, January 21, 2023. He was 40 years old. Sean lived in New Jersey all his life; growing up in Woodbury and raising the family he loved so much in Chesterfield. He will always be loved, missed, and cherished by his family and friends.
The loving father of Benjamin (age 8) and Eliana (age 6), husband of Sarah (Zander), son to William (Bill) and Kathleen (Kathy) Fleming (Flanagan), brother to Kevin Fleming, Nora Flynn (Fleming) and her husband, Mike Flynn, and brother-in-law to Mimi Zander and her husband Tony Joe, Joe Zander and his wife Dvorah Latifah, and Ariel Zander. He is also survived by mother-in-law, Judy Zander, and the late Ben Zander. He will never be forgotten by his nieces and nephews Andrew and Kathleen Flynn, Sarah Naomi, Ruchama, Tziporah, Kirvaya, Shmuel Ya'akov, and Ben Tzion Zander, and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Sean loved surfing and the ocean, whether on a quick escape to the Jersey shore when the surf was up no matter the season or on his surfing vacations to the Outer Banks, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico and beyond. His joy for playing guitars was rivaled by his passion for building guitars and amps, even building his son Ben a left-handed bass to begin teaching/learning. He loved conservation and taking care of our environment and that spurred his career in environmental science, graduating with a BS from St. Bonaventure University. He was adored by the dogs he cared for throughout his life, from his childhood with Mabel, to his super cuddly pitbull Debbie-dog, to the family's newest addition, Gracie. Sean was co-captain of Woodbury high school swim team, and participated on the golf and soccer teams as well. He was an avid skier and snowboarder from childhood. He enjoyed hiking, doing projects around the house, and could often be found with automotive tools in both hands, always tinkering with his cars, engines, and gadgets. He was a master at repairing anything that needed fixing.
Nothing compared to his unconditional love for his children, Ben and Eli. Sean passed his love of the outdoors to them, teaching them to fish, swim, spend time hiking in the woods and state parks, and tending to the native wildflowers he'd planted that adorned his yard. They would protect and feed monarch caterpillars and release them once they changed into butterflies each season. He coached Ben's soccer team to their league championships and loved practices with Ben and Pop-Pop. He adored spending time with Eli too, whether it be reading, artwork, tea parties, or science experiments. He was a devoted father and so proud of their accomplishments in math and reading at school.
Sean was the loving husband of Sarah who similarly shared in their love of music and the outdoors. One highlight of each year was attending the XPonential music festival, bringing the kids too, once they were born. Duets with Sarah on piano and Sean on guitar were something the whole family enjoyed. May his memory be a blessing.
Relatives and friends are invited on January 26, 2023 to Givnish Funeral Home of Marlton (398 Main Street,
Marlton, NJ 08053) for visitation between 10:30 am and 12pm, followed by a service. Burial will take place at Crosswicks Cemetery (210 Crosswicks Road, Fieldsboro, NJ, 08505 at 2pm). Shiva will be sat at the Fleming home and the family will be accepting visitors on January 29th from 11:00am to 4:00pm.
In lieu of flowers, contributions to causes Sean frequently supported is appreciated: https://www.surfrider.org/ https://www.matchdogrescue.org/