George Murray Seal Jr.

George Murray Seal, Jr., known as "George" to many but as "Murray" to just as many, died in his Tuscany-Canterbury apartment on April 6. He was six weeks shy of 101.

He was born on Calvert Street in Baltimore, months after World War I's Armistice Day, to G. Murray Seal, a career Maryland Casualty officer, and his Connecticut-born wife Edith Bidwell Seal. There was a more than 10-year gap between him and older sisters Adelaide and Winifred. He first attended PS 54, then PS 51 from their University Place home. After sixth grade he entered McDonogh School, graduating in 1936. Becoming an uncle at this time, he was known to friends sometimes as "Unk." While graduating first in his class, Mr. Seal would add that classmate and future headmaster Bob Lamborn would have had that honor had he not left early for college.

Four years as a day student at Johns Hopkins followed. He majored in business economics and graduated in 1940, enjoying Glenn Miller at his college prom. During these years his parents lived in one of the early houses in the Homeland neighborhood, a house completed just before the 1929 stock market crash. McDonogh and Hopkins brought him a cluster of lifelong friends, including Joe Brumback, who like several attended both schools and for whom he served as best man.

Within months of his college graduation, Mr. Seal faced the certain prospect of military service with the passage of the Selective Service Act in 1940. He signed up for one year with the Army C battery of the 110th Field Artillery, known as the "McDonogh Battery" at the Pikesville Armory. In 1941 service commitments were being extended and training was moved to Fort Meade. After Pearl Harbor, the Officer Candidate School offered accelerated programs for officers who were known as "90-day wonders." Mr. Seal completed his OCS training in Carlisle in August, 1942 and was sent to Fort Jackson SC.

While his stay at Fort Jackson was brief, this period produced two significant relationships. A Medical Assistance Corps was being formed by an officer named John Thompson from South Bend, Indiana. Mr. Seal became his first staff addition, becoming an S-4 Supply Officer. John Thompson and another officer, Charles Epstein of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, would serve the entire war with Mr. Seal and become lifetime friends.

Also, while at Fort Jackson, Mr. Seal took a weekend leave in Baltimore and met Nancy Read at a friend's party. The two would write during the war and get married after the war.

Mr. Seal trained in Arizona and Tennessee, eventually being shipped in November 1942 to Ireland. He was part of an advance team that would arrive a month before the others. His voyage over was on the Queen Elizabeth, which had been converted into a troop vessel. On July 1, 1944, "D-Day +28", Mr. Seal's unit landed at Omaha Beach. He served in France, Luxembourg and Germany until the June, 1945 German surrender, by which time he had advanced to Schwerin, in what would be the Russian sector. Mr. Seal received two Bronze Stars for logistical support for medical operations. He was often defensive in discussing the recognition, being quick to point out that there were no battlefield heroics. But he eventually become comfortable with accepting the honor for playing the logistical role.

His Medical Assistance unit had periodic stays in Wiltz, Luxembourg. He became quite attached to the people of Wiltz, returned to visit numerous times in later years, and served as best man for his friend Charles Epstein, who married a resident after VE Day. Mr. Seal reached the rank of Captain, and returned home in July 1945 on the USS Admiral W.E. Eberle.

He was on a troop train headed to Japan when the war ended.

Mr. Seal married Nancy Read in 1947. They first lived on University Parkway across the street from Homewood Field at Hopkins. This caused many late dinners as he frequently watched the Hopkins lacrosse team practice on his way home. Little did he know that in 2015 he would be driven into Homewood Field in a golf cart for his 75th reunion as his name was announced.

In 1948 the couple was lured to Windsor Locks, Connecticut by an opportunity for Mr. Seal to join the family lumber business on his mother's side. Burdened by an overabundance of relatives in management, the business did not prove to hold the promise that was first believed. They returned to Baltimore and moved in to the brand-new Gaywood development on Bellona Avenue. Their first son Jeff arrived in 1949 and second son Ken in 1952. Their favorite trip destinations were Atlantic City, the Chalfont Hotel in particular, and Sherwood Forest.

Mr. Seal did continue in the lumber business. Upon returning to Baltimore he worked for the Stebbins Anderson Company in Towson. He then worked for the O'Connor Lumber in Essex until 1964. He also had an urge to build and sell houses, and did build a couple in Dundalk in the late 50's.

The 1950's brought sports excitement to Baltimore. The city could attract a pro football team if they could sell 15,000 season tickets. Mr. Seal proudly participated, and was a rabid Baltimore Colt ticketholder for years. Every August he led the family in making a projection of that season's roster. The Orioles also arrived in town. Having been a regular fan of the old International League Orioles in the 30's and 40's at the Greenmount Avenue stadium, Mr. Seal welcomed the new version of the team. Lacrosse was his primary sports love, however. Spring at Homewood field was Blue Jay time.

For all his interest in team sports, his own participation in sports was not anything like that. At McDonogh, Mr. Seal took on fencing, and his spare time at Hopkins included lengthy ping-pong sessions and competitions.

In 1965 he took a job with a lumber company in the Washington area, Triangle Pacific Forest Products, requiring him to move his family to Montgomery County. He would spend the rest of his full-time career there as purchasing agent. In this role he negotiated purchases of plywood and framing lumber from western producers. Arriving by boxcar, these shipments would be broken down and sold to residential homebuilders all over the region. Since the sales force and company owners were often in conflict on what to charge customers and how much stock to keep on hand, Mr. Seal’s job was a balancing act, which he managed for 25 years. After retiring in 1989, he worked part-time for several more years as the east coast troubleshooter for a west coast lumber wholesaler.

In 1981, his wife Nancy died after bouts with numerous illnesses. They had been married for 34 years. Shortly thereafter he met Mildred Gaylor at a Parents Without Partners reception. They were married in 1983. They lived in Leisure World in Montgomery County for 29 years, especially enjoying jazz in New Orleans and sightseeing through timeshares until she passed away in 2012.

Mr. Seal moved back to Baltimore at this time. He spent the last eight years living independently in his apartment at the Ambassador near his alma mater Hopkins. He frequented a rotation of his favorite “joints” as he called them, including the Radisson, Frazier’s, the Curb Shoppe, Hamilton Tavern, and Swallow at the Hollow.

Mr. Seal had a lifelong connection to the Society of Mayflower Descendants. In 1938 the Baltimore chapter was formed. Mr. Seal joined, along with his family, as proven descendants of William Bradford, the Pilgrim governor. The story continued from there when 75 years later he appeared at the anniversary celebration as a charter member. He then joined under a second relationship, that of John Billington. This descendant was controversial, as he was accused of being the first Pilgrim murderer and was put to death on the command of, ironically, William Bradford. The Baltimore Sun ran a front-page story on Mr. Seal at Thanksgiving, 2016 called "A Family Affair" which outlined his two Mayflower relations and their unfortunate clash.

In an often-repeated family story, Mr. Seal’s grandfather George B. Seal, a pharmacist, was once visited by an inventor seeking a partner for distributing his new pain reliever. The grandfather declined to take on the product, and it eventually achieved renown as Bromo Seltzer, with its own Baltimore tower. Mr. Seal also had a brush with an invention. A lifelong Civil War enthusiast, he labored in the early 60's to produce a detailed board game called “Blue and Gray,” equipped with maps, cards and board pieces, based on a Civil War battle. This game would be marketed in observance of the 100th anniversary of the Civil War. He tried to convince the Parker Brothers game company to produce it. Unfortunately, the company just then introduced its successful "1863" game, leaving Mr. Seal's efforts unrecognized.

He was a voracious reader, especially of military history, high seas adventure and Jack Clancy. Up to his death he was placing regular book orders at the Enoch Pratt Roland Park branch. He loved British mysteries on television, including Inspector Morse. He enjoyed films ranging from “A Year in Provence” to the more recent “Lincoln.” He enjoyed Cutty Sark, rum cake and creamed spinach, and he spent years offering visitors blueberry pancakes. He volunteered for the Lions Club. He won gardening prizes for tomatoes and zucchinis. He had a crush on Sela Ward. He could quote Tennyson and Kipling. Mostly, he liked to needle people with wordplay.

His ashes will rest at Arlington National Cemetery with Mildred's. A memorial service will be held on August 28,2021 beginning at 2:00pm - followed by a Memorial Gathering until 4:00pm.

He is survived by son Jeff and his wife Judi and grandchildren Kevin (with Avigail), and Laura (with Steven). Also, son Ken and his partner Sarah, grandchildren Carey and Travis (with Jen) and their mother Sharon (with Jim). Also, great-granddaughter Austin (Travis & Jen) who fulfilled a long-term bucket list item.

Mr. Seal was uncle to Lorinda, Tim, Susan, Bob, Ted, Virginia, Gene, Rose Marie, Betsy, Debby and Dave.