Seth Stopek

STOPEK, SETH Passed away peacefully on February 16th after a long battle with the rare autoimmune disease Inclusion Body Myositis. Beloved husband to Judy; father to Clay (Tom) and Jonathan (Shoshana); brother to Alan (Goldie) and Lisa; grandfather to Madeleine, Will, Sam and Sasha. Seth grew up in East Patterson, NJ. He met Judy when they were teenagers and they were married for almost 51 years. They graduated from Syracuse University and moved together to Washington, DC where Seth earned a law degree at George Washington University. Seth was a life-long learner, inquisitive and passionate about the law, Democratic politics, civil rights and rock and roll. He brought knowledge and zeal to every conversation and he practiced law with compassion and integrity. His career began in appeals at the Justice Department during a time of political upheaval. Seth then settled in Miami to start a family. He joined Sparber Roskin et al. and became a partner, and eventually practiced tax, real estate and health care law. Seth felt most free when he was on the water. As a child, he built boats that he launched on the Passaic River. Living in Miami enabled him to spend every moment with his family aboard his beloved boats, Upside, Heartthrob and Steadfast. When Seth was diagnosed with IBM in 1995, he retired from the law and set sail with Judy, living his lifelong dream to live aboard, traveling to the Bahamas and up the Eastern seaboard. Seth's final years were difficult and wheelchair bound, but he faced every challenge with strength and persistence. Judy was a remarkable caretaker, supporting him with great love and empathy. Seth loved his nurses Ernesto and Nedisha like family and they took care of him with kindness and dignity. Donations in Seth's memory may be made to Shake-a-Leg Miami (www.shakealegmiami.org, (305)776-5573) and The Myositis Association (www.myositis.org, 1-800-821-7356).