Thomas John Seery

Thomas John Seery, known to friends and family as Tom, 88, of Seattle, Washington, passed away peacefully on September 10, 2026, in Bellevue, Washington. Tom will be deeply missed and fondly remembered for his love of learning, adventurous spirit, commitment to community, and devotion to his family.

Early Life and Childhood Adventures

Tom was born in New York City on January 24, 1938, and spent his early childhood in Maspeth, Queens. His curiosity and sense of adventure appeared early. At four years old, he would follow the older neighborhood kids down to the nearby railroad tracks, where they played stickball and explored a local junkyard.

His childhood took him across the country. After his years in Queens, his family moved to Monrovia, California, then back to Jamaica, New York, and finally to Greenhills, Ohio. He graduated from high school there in 1955, receiving the Harvard Book Prize for outstanding academic achievement.

It was also during these years that Tom's curiosity about the wider world began to take shape. Some of his earliest adventures were camping trips with his father through the American Southwest, where he later recalled prospecting for uranium deposits and learning the hazards of camping in a dry creek bed. Those initial journeys ignited a lifelong passion for travel and exploration.

College and Serving his Country

Tom entered Columbia College in 1955, commuting from Flushing and working a variety of jobs to help put himself through school. He graduated in 1959 with a Bachelor of Arts in Geology.

His life took its most meaningful turn in 1957 when he met Janet Gregory at a Columbia-Barnard mixer. Their courtship was simple and rich with the things they could afford: visits to New York museums, movies, and inexpensive spaghetti-and-beer dinners. What began there became a partnership that lasted nearly seven decades.

After graduating from Columbia in 1959, Tom enlisted in the U.S. Army and attended the U.S. Army Language School at the Presidio of Monterey, California, where he learned Russian in preparation for Cold War intelligence work.

While stationed in Kassel, Germany, Tom and Janet were married in the base chapel in September 1961. Soon afterward, they set off on a European honeymoon that was the first of many trips they shared over the course of their marriage.

Family and Career

After his discharge from the Army, Tom returned to New York and began working in international banking at Chase Bank. He also continued his education at Columbia, earning an MBA in Finance in 1966.

His love of travel naturally found its way into his professional life. In 1968, Tom joined General Electric as a financial auditor, a position that took him on lengthy rotations in San Francisco, France, and Venezuela.

That same year, Tom and Janet moved to Niskayuna, New York, with their young daughter, Jennifer. Their son, Thomas Jr., was born the following year.

As a father, Tom passed along his core values to his children: the importance of education, empathy, hard work, and helping others. He also modeled a practical frugality that gave rise to fond family stories. Tom's children will never forget watching the pavement pass below their feet through the patch of fiberglass holding together his rusted-out station wagon.

Tom spent 30 years with GE, ultimately spending 21 years with GE's International Tax Compliance Operation. His work combined his natural persistence with a lifelong curiosity about the world around him.

A Lifetime of Service and Exploration

Tom believed in being of service to his community. During his years in upstate New York, he gave his time generously to organizations that mattered to him. He served for six years as a board member and treasurer of Planned Parenthood of Northern New York and for six years as a board member and treasurer of the Unitarian Church of Schenectady. For 22 years, he volunteered with the Friends of the Schenectady County Public Library book sales.

After retiring from GE in 1997, Tom and Janet moved to Seattle, where Tom quickly found new ways to get involved. He served for six years on the board of the Friends of the Seattle Public Library, including as chair of its Operations Committee. He served for six years as a board member and treasurer of the First Unitarian Society of Seattle. For 15 years, he mentored small business owners through SCORE Seattle, sharing the knowledge he had accumulated over a long career. He also spent five years volunteering with the Museum of Flight restoration team.

His last act of volunteer service was providing food and supplies to families in need at a local food bank.

Seattle also opened a new chapter of exploration for Tom and Janet. They embraced the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest, skiing throughout the Cascades, camping and hiking around Mount Rainier, and taking daily long walks to explore their neighborhood and stay connected to their community. Their travels together eventually stretched far beyond the Pacific Northwest. They returned to Europe and traveled through Peru, Argentina, and Egypt. Later journeys took them across the world to India, China, Everest Base Camp, and Borneo. They often combined their passions for travel and the arts, including a particularly memorable trip to Berlin to attend Wagner's Ring Cycle.

Later Years and Unconditional Love

One of Tom's greatest joys in later life was being a grandfather to Jack, Kai, and Ren. He delighted in sharing his time and talents with them, whether making amazing pizza, baking the best chocolate chip cookies, or playing to win in Monopoly. These everyday moments were among the things that made life so meaningful to him.

In his later years, Tom's devotion to Janet became especially visible. As her health declined, he spent countless hours caring for her, reading to her each day, sharing memories, and doing whatever he could to win a smile.

Lasting Memory and Survivors

Tom is survived by his beloved wife of 65 years, Janet (Gregory) Seery; his daughter, Jennifer Seery; his son, Tom Seery Jr., and daughter-in-law, Krista; his grandsons, Jack, Kai Xin, and Ren Long; and his brothers, Robert "Bob" Seery and John "Jack" Seery.

Tom leaves behind a family who will carry his stories with them, friends and neighbors who benefited from his generosity, and communities made better by the time and care he gave to them.

In lieu of flowers, please consider honoring Tom's love of learning and community by visiting and supporting your local library.