Lawrence Albert Seidel, 81, of Glastonbury passed away peacefully at home on August 23rd with his children by his side. He was predeceased in 2015 by his wife of nearly 50 years, Lucretia (Borgia) Seidel.
Born in Wisconsin, he was the son of Albert and Iva (Lamphear) Seidel and grew up in the small town of Dorchester. In 1958, he graduated from Dorchester High School and was Valedictorian of his graduating class of 23. After high school, he attended St. Norbert College for a year and then continued his education at Michigan Tech where he majored in Mechanical Engineering. Upon graduation, he accepted a job with Pratt & Whitney Aircraft in East Hartford, CT and was employed there for 37 years until his retirement. There he was a highly respected engineer in the Turbine Analytical Design Group. He specialized in the aerodynamic design of jet engines and was instrumental in transitioning from a paper design system to a computerized one. He also holds a Master's Degree from RPI graduate school.
In 1964, he was introduced to his future bride at a party near UConn. The party included a number of nursing students, one of whom was Lucretia. They married on June 26, 1965, and went on to raise 2 children in Glastonbury. Although busy with work, he was a devoted husband and father, who constantly made time for his family. He was always available to help with homework (math in particular) and his unending patience made him an excellent teacher. His patience also made him a great coach. He dedicated a significant amount of time coaching his son in sports, especially ice hockey, which Brian started playing at the age of 5. Many hours were spent together as a family traveling to and from hockey games. He enjoyed golfing with his children and taking them fishing on Long Island Sound. As a grandfather, he traveled to attend his granddaughters’ basketball, lacrosse and field hockey games. He also loved spending Sundays with them watching football, shooting pool and playing cribbage.
When not working or spending time with his family, he enjoyed a variety of activities. He was an avid golfer and played in a league with many of his lifelong friends that he made while working at Pratt. In his younger years he also played tennis and softball. He was a fan of the Hartford Whalers and attended many games each year. Larry was also a talented carpenter and enjoyed building furniture for his home. He even used his engineering and carpentry skills to design and build a backyard ice rink. After retirement, he was a volunteer for the VITA program for many years doing tax returns for need based applicants.
Larry is survived by a daughter, Lisa Walsh and husband, John of Florida and CT, a son, Brian Seidel and wife, Susan of Colorado, and 2 grandchildren, Taylor Walsh and Jenna Walsh. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Sandy Pearson (late husband, Phil) and her son, Bill of Florida and sister-in-law Mona Czyrnik and husband, Stan of North Carolina, as well as a large extended family in Wisconsin.
He will be missed immensely and will be remembered as a kind, gentle soul with a dry sense of humor, who never had a bad word to say about anyone. And he never once swore over a bad golf shot…ever. Services will be private and at the convenience of the family. Memorial contributions may be made to CurePSP, 1216 Broadway, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10001 or online at psp.org/iwanttohelp/ways-to-give/.
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