Elizabeth Gail Seago

Elizabeth Gail (Caudle) Seago, of Charlotte NC, passed away peacefully on Saturday, February 7th at the age of 85. Gail was born in Scottsville, AR on March 26, 1940 to Ewin and Elizabeth Caudle. Elizabeth Caudle passed away shortly after Gail’s birth. Ewin married Veona Mathis on November 1, 1941 and together they raised Gail and her brother Bob in Russellville AR.

While living in Lawton, OK, Gail met the love of her life, Pat Seago, and they married on March 28, 1975, bringing their daughters together to create our family. They relocated to Charlotte, NC shortly after. Gail and Pat had a truly joyful marriage and spent 28 happy years together, always deeply present in the lives of their daughters and their families.

Gail’s faith in Jesus Christ was the foundation of her life. She and Pat were longtime members of Calvary Church, where they helped establish the Cancer Ministry, serving alongside other couples walking a similar journey. Throughout Pat’s long battle with cancer, she loved him steadfastly, caring for him with patience, strength, and grace. After his passing, Gail continued to serve others through the Martha Ministry, serving the cancer community in Pat’s memory, and later participating in a short-term mission trip to Africa - an experience she considered one of the highlights of her life. Gail was actively involved in politics and served a term as the President of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Republican Women’s Club. More recently, Gail attended and worked in leadership with Community Bible Study in Charlotte. There she met a loving community of women who have joyfully and prayerfully supported her throughout the past year in her long and difficult illness. Gail had a remarkable gift for caring deeply for those around her. She moved her mother, Veona, to Charlotte in 2001 and lovingly cared for her for 15 years. We would be remiss not to mention how much Gail loved her neighbors. She was passionate about how much she cared for everyone on her street and we are so thankful they loved her so well in return. A friend to everyone she met, you could always count on additions to family dinners, whether it was someone she met at the post office or a new friend from the grocery store.

Gail’s life was a beautiful testament of how to love and lead a family. To her three daughters, Gail was the gold standard for everything we hope to be. She didn’t lead by demand, but by example, by sharing wisdom, modeling resilience and showing grace every single day. We are profoundly grateful for the way she constantly covered our families in prayer. She was our safety net, our compass, and our greatest example of a life well-lived.

She is survived by her daughters Skye Sauerwein (Jim), Kelly Rilea (Don), and Barrie Wells, her grandchildren Justin DeLuca (Angela), Anna Pryor (Kell), Steven Rilea (Danielle), Weslie Sauerwein, James Sauerwein (Ashley), and her great grandchildren Hunter, Hadley, Norah, Harbor, Seago, Max, Reid, and Judah. She was preceded in death by her parents, Ewin and Veona Caudle; her brother, Robert Caudle, a Silver Star and Purple Heart recipient who fell

in the Korean War; her grandson, Pat Sauerwein; and her beloved husband, Pat Seago. She leaves us a legacy of love and joy: love of our Lord and Savior, our family, and our community, and joy in every moment, no matter how difficult the challenges we encounter may be.

Our family is forever grateful to the Hospice team of Via Health Care and the Aldersgate Skilled Nursing Facility, particularly the nursing staff of the Asbury/Chantilly Community who have loved and cared for Gail and our family over the past nine months. Your selfless work will not be forgotten.

A Celebration of Life service for Gail will be held on Thursday, February 12th at the Calvary Church Chapel, 5801 Pineville-Matthews Road, at 1:30 pm. Pastor Jim Pile will officiate.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in the memory of Gail Seago may be made to: Calvary Church: Missions, 5801 Pineville-Matthews Road, Charlotte, NC 28226.