Charles Bret Seaton

Charles Bret Seaton was born November 9, 1954, and passed away on November 12, 2025, from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. Bret was born in San Diego, California, the son of the late Jean Louise Harte Seaton Gregory and Charles Herbert Seaton. He moved with his family to Falls Church, Virginia and later Saratoga, California, before returning to San Diego where he attended San Dieguito High School in Encinitas. He received a B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of Southern California, where he earned a varsity letter in crew. While at USC, his love of music and 6’8” height led to a job as a security guard for CSC where he worked rock concerts of many of his favorite bands, including The Who, the Rolling Stones, Genesis, the Eagles and Bruce Springsteen. He received an M.S. in Biochemistry from California State University, Long Beach and began his career at Beckman Instruments as a Development Chemist. At Beckman Instruments, he met his sweetheart of 42 years, Linda Casler Seaton, and they married in 1983. They moved to San Diego in 1985, where Bret worked at Hybritech, Inc. as a Project Scientist for a decade before passing the Patent Bar and becoming a Patent Agent. Bret continued his love of rowing in San Diego, joining the Mission Bay Rowing Club and competing in Masters events throughout the country. He was known for his infectious laugh, fun-loving demeaner and love of all sports (especially USC football). His favorite holiday was Halloween, where he was an enthusiastic contributor to the neighborhood Halloween potluck. He created memorable Day of the Dead-designed cakes, Halloween-shaped sourdough sandwiches, otherworldly carved pumpkins, and stood out in the crowd wearing a T-Rex costume to entertain the kids and adults. He is survived by his wife Linda and son Charles Andrew Seaton. A private service will be held on Monday, December 15 at El Camino Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.