Ray and Eileen Seward

Ray and Eileen  Seward

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Edward Raymond Seward Jr. and Dorothy Eileen Boone Seward – soulmates together in life, and now together forever for all eternity. Eileen – born on March 2, 1932 in Waynesboro, PA – was called Home to the Lord on August 10, 2022. Ray – born on December 13, 1929 in Baltimore, MD – followed to join his beloved in Heaven on September 21, 2022.
 
Eileen was the daughter of Rae Beatress DeLawter and John Ervin Boone and the sister of Margaret, Genevieve (Jackie), John Jr., Raeann and Carolyn. She grew up in Hagerstown, MD in a house filled with music – and she followed her dreams to study voice, graduating from the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University with a Bachelor of Arts and a teaching certificate in 1954. She performed throughout her time in college as a soprano soloist at numerous churches including the Mount Vernon Place Methodist Church – where the Reverend once told her he’d “love to have a whole choir of Eileen Boones!” In 1955, she began her career teaching at Hagerstown High School – her alma mater.
 
Ray was the son of Louise Josephine Mallory and Edward Raymond Seward Sr. and the brother of Barbara. He grew up loving sports and played baseball, basketball, football – and even belonged to a church bowling league. While planning to become an athletic director and studying first at the University of Maryland and then at the University of Baltimore – Ray enlisted in the United States Air Force on January 8, 1951. He was sent to the Philippines via the U.S.S. Ainsworth and assigned to the 6205th Air Police and later to the 92nd Bomb Wing – where he helped to establish the first aircraft service unit in the Air Force. Upon his honorable discharge as Staff Sergeant in October 1954 – Ray piled into his Chevrolet and drove across the country from California to Maryland in one straight shot – without a map – to reregister at the University of Baltimore. It was in the registrar’s office where he met a man who would forever change his life.
 
On March 12, 1955, God and a man named Connie Mcclung, brought Ray and Eileen together on a blind date – a Saint Patrick’s Day dance at the University of Baltimore. Later named “Found-Her’s Day” by Ray, he said it was the day that “God granted my most fervent prayer, to meet my consummate soulmate.” Eileen said, “As a young girl I wished for things and as I grew older my wishes became prayers. My Heavenly Father, who is always present and always listening, so beautifully answered my prayers and richly blessed my life.”  Just a few weeks later, on April 30, Ray and Eileen were officially engaged and joined forever in the Sacrament of Marriage on July 2, 1955.
 
Graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management, Ray worked for over three decades at the American Lung Association of Northern Virginia, retiring as Managing Director & CEO. Eileen spent decades touching thousands of lives by teaching voice, piano and music theory, up until just days before her passing. The two retired to Williamsburg, VA in 1992 – where they continued their involvement in the church and in their community. Ray became President of the Homeowner’s Association and a Board Member for the Route 5 Preservation Committee. They continued to build their life together both literally and figuratively – Ray put his heart and soul into countless hours designing and building improvements and extensions to all of their homes over the years. In Williamsburg, he built a smokehouse, a well and a screened in porch with a swing. Ray and Eileen – best friends and soul mates – spent thousands of hours on that porch, swinging together and holding hands. Eileen would say, “My life is so beautiful; my heart is filled with love-God’s love and the love of my sweetheart and family; and my lips speak daily my devout gratitude and thanksgiving.”
 
Ray and Eileen’s faith in God, Jesus, and The Word, extended beyond their own hearts to their family and to every life they touched. Blessed with three daughters and sons-in-law: Debbie and John, Anna and Richard, Sarah and Ted – five grandchildren: Megen, Amanda, Mallory, Sydney and Hunter – and six great-grandchildren: Logan, Griffin Ray, Fiona, Aubrey, Boone and Granger. 67 years spent together, Ray and Eileen’s legacy lives on in their family and in all who love them. All because two people met and fell in love. God’s perfect plan.
 
Ray’s Celebration of Life will be held at Bucktrout of Williamsburg (4124 Ironbound Rd; Williamsburg, VA 23188) on Monday, October 10 at 1pm.
 
In lieu of flowers, the Family requests memorial donations be made to The Jewish Jesus, to glorify God in loving memory of Ray and Eileen. Please include their names on any donations so they will be included in their fund. The gift can be mailed to: Discovering The Jewish Jesus; P.O. Box 777; Blessfield, MI 49228 – or made via phone: 1-800-777-7835 – or made online: discoveringthejewishjesus.com

Memorial Service

Monday, October 10, 2022
1:00 PM

Bucktrout Funeral Home - Directions
4124 Ironbound Road
Williamsburg, VA 23188
757-229-3822

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  • October 16, 2022
    Patty Tremblay says:
    Eileen & Ray - Rich with God's love and love and blessings of family and friends. They will be sorely missed as blessings to all who knew and loved them. Eileen has left a legacy of granting music blessings to her students, but not only that which was so richly giving of her soul, but she also taught so many youngsters and adults alike composure, manners, and may I dare say mental health. She snuck in tidbits of religious teachings to those willing and able to listen, and many stories of her daddy's ministering God's love to those in need of soul saving in places dare I say that were dens of sin versus the sanctity of a church. God kept both Eileen and Ray on this earth for an especially long period of time to minister to those who were lost in their souls - if we only could know the number they brought to Jesus, we would all be astounded. The living world is weeping for the loss of them.

  • October 12, 2022
    Susan Hill says:
    I had the pleasure of knowing Mr & Mrs Seward for many years in providing them dental care. What a beautiful love story they both shared. God created 2 of the most loving and kind human beings. May God bless your family with beautiful memories that will last your lifetimes.

  • October 08, 2022
    Lucinda Veeck Gosden says:
    Two of my favorite people in the world. Eileen and Ray were unfailingly kind, totally honest, and both were exceptional individuals. Always faithful, always dedicated to their large family, and always, always generous and loving with their friends. My heart aches that I’ll never be with them again in this lifetime, but sincerely hope to embrace them again in another, kinder realm.

  • October 04, 2022
    John Rossi says:
    At the times when I was around them the most, in the 1970s, Mr. and Mrs. Seward were always so kind to me and daughter Anna's other high school friends. They showed their interest in us, individually, and shared their admiration for our successes and exploits as we moved from high school to college to our first jobs. Good people, loving and caring. I'm profoundly grateful for their presence in my life, and extend my sincere condolences to the entire family.

  • October 01, 2022
    Roger Gosden says:
    We will never forget their love for people and lives dedicated to good