Ralph Fletcher Seymour II

Ralph Fletcher Seymour, II September 7, 1942 - August 13, 2008 Born in Chicago, Illinois, Ralph Fletcher "Rafe" Seymour grew up on a farm in the woods on Smith Road near Elburn, Illinois, attended college at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania and graduated from Elmhurst College in Illinois. He loved the woods, the creeks, the rivers, sports, blueberries, games…cribbage, baccarat, blackjack…the magic of "words", good stories and social justice-politics. Known as a skilled debater he could argue any issue from multiple points of view. He loved teaching children math and poetry, especially sharing works of Robert Frost, Walt Whitman, Langston Hughes and Bobby Kennedy. He was an outstanding athlete, garnering All "Big East Conference" honors in football and was a notable dart player on the Chicago Dart Club Circuit. He taught for decades in Chicago championing the children under his wing. He was kind, community-connected and innovative. He was a founder of an inner-city school advocacy group Parent Association and created a Dignity Wall featuring heroes and heroines selected by his students. Rafe passed peacefully at Northwest Assisted Living in Tucson on August 13th, 2008. He entered a loving place where the grace of Our Heavenly Father welcomed and guards him, and joining his Mother, Father and Sister (Ruth and Fletcher Seymour and Prudence Seymour Purdy) who preceded him in death. He died with dignity from complications of esophageal cancer. Rafe was very appreciative of care received from Northwest Assisted Living, the Leal family and Odyssey Hospice. He leaves behind his loving sister and brother-in-law, Priscilla and Martin Kuhn of Tucson; his daughter, son-in-law and granddaughters, Josephine, Johnny, Madison and Samantha Lane of Martinez, Georgia and nephews and nieces, Katie, Fletcher and Clifford Kuhn of Tucson and Patience Purdy of New Jersey as well as Beadle and Seymour extended families. His latter months of life were enriched by the presence of Josephine, Madison and Samantha of whom he was so proud. At Rafe's request there will be no formal services; his ashes will be spread on the Mississippi River as were the ashes of his grandfather, Ralph Fletcher Seymour. We thank Rafe's friends and family for their prayers.