Donald Sheffield Seabury Of Southampton Dies November 2

Donald Sheffield Seabury of Southampton, formerly of Bridgehampton, died on November 2, 2018, of natural causes. He was 93.

Born on October 21, 1925, in Southampton, to Egbert and Hettie Seabury, his family lineage reached back to the Mayflower and included Bishop Samuel Seabury, the first American Episcopal bishop. He grew up in Bridgehampton, graduated from the Bridgehampton High School and attended Northeastern University, where he studied mechanical engineering. He married Jane Bishop of Southampton on October 16, 1948. They were married for 70 years, living in the Bridgehampton area for the entirety of their marriage, and spent many wonderful summers on Mount Desert Island in Maine.

Mr. Seabury’s first job was for Western Union Laboratories in Water Mill, working on classified equipment designed for military use in World War II. He went on to work as a tool and die designer at both Rowe Industries and Sag Harbor Industries, before his retirement. He went on to work out of his own shop doing custom tooling for multiple local industries, including Liberty Iron Works of Southampton.

He was an avid outdoorsman, enjoying hunting, fishing, sailing, hiking and cross-country skiing. He trained his own hunting dogs and there were often stories about how his dogs outsmarted his hunting partners. He fished avidly, both with a rod and reel and with a multi-generational haul seine crew out of Sagaponack. He loved local lore and studied local history, proud to be a part of a community that stretched back to the settling of the East End of Long Island.

He was community minded, serving on the school board of both the Bridgehampton School and the Hampton Day School, and serving as both a deacon and a trustee of the Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church. He was a former member of the Southampton Masonic Lodge, served on the board of the Bridgehampton Historical Society, and always volunteered in any capacity and for anyone that needed a hand.

He is survived by his wife, Jane; his children, Marilyn and Peter; three grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, November 23, at 11 a.m. at the Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church. Arrangements are under the direction of the Brockett Funeral Home in Southampton.

Memorial donations may be made to the Bridgehampton Historical Society.