Obituary of William Davidson Seabrook

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of William "Bill" Davidson Seabrook on July 23, 2021, at York Care Centre. Born on April 2, 1935, in Ottawa, ON, he was the son of the late Gordon and Geraldine (Davidson) Seabrook. With a PhD from Imperial College, University of London, in the United Kingdom, Dr. Seabrook had passion for teaching and biological science. He had a long and distinguished career as a professor, entomologist and researcher at the University of New Brunswick, where he was Dean of Graduate Studies and Research. Upon retirement, he was honoured to hold the title of Professor Emeritus. He held his professional friends in the highest esteem, including his laboratory partners, his colleagues and his students, many of whom went on to distinguished careers in their own right. One of his proudest accomplishments was building a log cabin in the traditional way with red pine logs at Indian Lake. Family continue to enjoy this cabin to this day. In his final months, it was discussions about this project along with conversations about his family, that made him the most happy. Bill was a lifelong community volunteer, giving time and leadership to the competitive swimming community, as president of both the Fredericton Aquanaut Swim Team and the New Brunswick branch of the Canadian Amateur Swimming Association (CASA). He also served nationally on the CASA board of the directors and was an international swimming refereee. He was a president of the Fredericton Botanic Garden, helping establish the garden next to O’Dell Park. He very much loved volunteering at the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival, something he did for 25 years with his two sons. One of his other passions was singing with many friends in the Gilbert and Sullivan Society, where he was known for his playful appearances. Bill is survived by his spouse Janet "Jane" (Appleton) Seabrook; sons David (Nuie Setthanan) and Stephen Seabrook; granddaughters Lilly and Molly Seabrook; brother Thomas "Tom" Seabrook, as well as many extended family members and friends. The family wishes to express their deep appreciation to the caregivers who provided Bill with excellent and compassionate care in the final years of his life including Dr. Lauren Wiley, his family doctor; staff at York Care Centre, the Duffie Unit at the Oromocto Hospital, the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital and the New Brunswick Extramural Nursing program. A private celebration of Bill’s life will be held at a later date. For those who wish, memorial donations may be made to Fredericton Botanic Garden Association.