Seabury C. McGown

Seabury Conger McGown died peacefully in his sleep in Bellingham, WA on January 2, 2022, after a long and fulfilling life. Sea was born in Cooperstown, NY on April 5, 1933. He was preceded in death by his parents, Frederick Hamilton and Esther Seabury (Conger) McGown, brothers Frederick Hamilton McGown, Jr. (Elizabeth), David Jefferson McGown (Jeanne) and sister Mary Augusta Mahlum (William). He leaves behind his wife of 66 years, Frances Morse McGown, daughters Amelia Seabury Bacon (Michael), Katrina Esther Trent (Barry), Seabury Morse McGown (Gary Gilbreath) and son William Hamilton McGown (Carolyn) along with six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Sea graduated from MIT in the spring of 1955, got married to Fran in December 1955 and worked as a naval architect and engineer for the Navy. Fran and Sea lived in Alexandria, VA until Sea accepted a position with Uniflite, and the family moved to Bellingham, WA in 1966. They lived there until 1984 when Uniflite was purchased by Chris Craft and this required a move for Sea and Fran to Longboat Key, FL. Sea retired in 1987 and when Fran retired from teaching, they moved to the Morse family properties in Cotuit, MA in 1992. Sea built out “Granny’s” beachside home to accommodate their visiting children and their families. Sea and Fran finally made their way back to Bellingham in 2001, where they bought their current home, aptly dubbed Otter Landing, on Lake Whatcom. It was always such a wonderful coincidence that Seabury, nicknamed Sea as a child, was a lover of sailing and being on the water. His love of the water began in Cooperstown on Lake Otsego and continued for his entire life. Sea loved to sail and race. For many summers, he took his family on sailing vacations that they remember fondly to this day, motoring and sailing within the San Juan Islands while “camping” on their 25-foot sailboat named Sea Fever. Wherever he and Fran lived, he sailed and raced various boats and was an active member of several yacht clubs including the one in Bellingham, Longboat Key and Wianno in Cape Cod. Sea’s second favorite interest was traveling. He and Fran especially enjoyed small ship cruises. They visited many locations throughout the world, expanding on his already deep knowledge of geography. A particular favorite was a trip to Antarctica. A map in the family home has kept track of their travels. Sea will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him. Early memories by his children include stories at bedtime. His favorites were Winnie the Pooh and The Wind in the Willows. One of his boats was named Mr. Toad. They also recall him spending hours thumbing through an encyclopedia that had been pulled out to answer some child’s question during dinner and somehow kept him occupied for the rest of the evening. He will forever be remembered at the helm of a sailboat, smoking his pipe contentedly, sailing to the next destination. A lasting legacy is the fact that the dock of the family home now hosts the MC Scow sailboats of several community members who race during the summer. Sea supported the races by putting out the racing buoys and manning the committee boat until his declining health impacted his ability to be out on the water. New sailors continue to join the group including some of their children. Sea was thrilled to see people engage in his favorite hobby. No memorial service is planned at this time. Sea’s ashes will be scattered over some body of water by his family. Please no flowers or donations.

Seabury C. McGown

April 5, 1933 - January 2, 2022