Eulogy
Ted Seymour: Celebration of Life Well Lived
“The decision to depart on February 24, 1986, to take leave of absence—from my kindergarten teaching position; to be after twenty years of holding various jobs, unemployed, without income, sailing alone around the world, was a major turning point in my life.”
Ted Seymour, First Black Man to sail around the world solo.
My brother Ted was an amazing human being and a unique athlete. Ted has had a major impact on many. The family has received a flood of condolence messages, from people all over the country. Up front, in my opinion, I believe that Ted deserves the title of G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time) for the first Black man to circumnavigate the globe solo.
My name is Ruth Seymour Johnson, Ted Seymour’s older sister. Ted’s oldest sister would proudly have been standing right here with me, but Carol Seymour Gonzalez transitioned several decades ago. Although it is difficult for me right now to accept this huge loss of Ted, I feel the sense of duty to share some of my remembrances of my amazing brother who literally, walked, ran, swam, biked, rode the trains, and sailed his way around the world during his time on Earth. Ted is with us today. I can envision him with his silly looking grin. I am sure he would be happy and thankful for the recognition. We are fortunate to have the personal gifts of his journals and letters that chronicle his circumnavigation.
Themes that run throughout this eulogy narrative are rooted in his admiration of role models and the lessons he learned from living in his childhood neighborhood. They are not always in chronological order.
Quantico
We are here on a beautiful day at Quantico. Ted expressed a desire to have a military funeral. He served as a Captain in the Marine Corps, so Quantico is a fitting location. He joined the Marines and became the 31st Black Commissioned Officer. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant shortly after he graduated from Central State University, an Historical Black College in Wilberforce, Ohio.
Ted credited the Marine Corps as one of the major influences in his life. The Corps enabled him to challenge similar physical and mental battles that he would experience on and off the battlefield in the Marines and on his circumnavigation. Ted did not talk much about his experiences in Viet Nam until later in his life. He was nominated for the Navy Cross. As Ted aged, he shared how being a Marine Corps Officer contributed to his successful circumnavigation by building endurance, strength, and leadership.
Childhood in the Neighborhood
The most revealing highlights I learned in writing about my brother related to how he experienced his childhood in our neighborhood. Although we lived in the same space, he perceived our low-income neighborhood as full of rich life opportunities. I didn’t get it. I had the opposite reaction! I wanted out of the neighborhood and to move to the Mulford Gardens Projects. At that time projects were a desirable location. Who is Charles Ted “Teddy” Seymour? Ted was the Youngest of three children born to Theodore and Grace Seymour. We were each 2 years apart and we were all born in October. October 1st, October 10th and October 30th were our birth dates. Money for 3 cakes in one month put a strain on the budget. However, my mother worked her magic so we each had a cake on our birthday. This was important to Ted because he had what is called a sweet tooth. Back to that later in the narrative. Even as an adult, Ted’s visits to our mother always had to come with a homemade chocolate cream pie and, spaghetti with mushrooms and sausage. Enough! Ted was a foodie, who posed as a vegetarian. “A foodie is a person who is concerned enough about what they eat to search out the "best" food, know its source or provenance, and cares about flavor, taste, texture, aroma more than how much they can eat and how much it costs. Foodies often also want to eat seasonal. locally and sustainably produced food, too.” -- Jill Nussinow, The Veggie Queen
I am upset that Ted left his earthly home before me. In fact, I was shocked. He did all the right things for good health like eating fresh vegetables. When he came for a visit (Usually, for around 2-3 weeks) he would swim and run every day. He in his most loving way, annoyed me by constantly commenting on my snacking style, of chips, apple turnovers, etc., and a sweetened cold drink. He pushed me for the need to exercise. In the end I was honored to receive his free, boring, and unwanted lectures about diet and health.
Memories Linked to Childhood
One of my most profound revelations in trying to write this eulogy was why and how Teddy credited his childhood neighborhood as an ideal training ground for adventure. Fortunately for all of us, Ted did a lot of journaling about his circumnavigation. We hope to be able to share those detailed journals with you. His journals vividly describe the environmental and people influences that prepared him for his circumnavigation. Ted reflected in his travel journals how inspired he felt because he had resources in his neighborhood that would propel him to greatness. Ted had personal visions that captured the support of others.
You may ask, What? How could that neighborhood prepare him to do what? Sail solo around the world? We grew up at 72 Woodworth Avenue in Yonkers, NY in what was labeled a cold water flat! We had to boil water when hot water was needed. We used blocks of ice to keep our food cold. We used an ice pick to chip off ice. When it was hot outside we stayed out until the temperatures cooled down. We lived across the street from the Otis Elevator Factory by the Grand Central Railroad tracks. Although, we could see the gorgeous Palisades and the Hudson River, we were low income, financially struggling. We didn’t have a TV, refrigerator (Ice Box) or some of the material things that are considered normal. A sociologist would have described us as a poor, dysfunctional Negro family. No one could fathom that this skinny little Black Boy would grow up and make an historical feat by circumnavigating the globe solo. Expectations of society were low for Negroes who grew up poor. Ted’s power was not in a physical size but in his powerful mind and his determination to achieve his goal. In spite of all that would seem negative, Teddy envisioned a dream that he could link straight back to his childhood experiences. Those training experiences would include Ted spending time with his companions, jumping the fences, fishing, jumping in the Hudson River and daring each other to do more dangerous activities.
Our Trinidadian grandfather, who lived in the neighborhood taught him boating, swimming, and fishing skills. All his buddies spent time at the pier in Yonkers and they would also take the ferry across to New Jersey. Other experiences that could have been described as negative in his young life were turned into life lessons in high school. We had to walk long distances to school in the good and bad weather. Teddy would race my sister and me to school. He always won.
Skills he learned:
Work hard
Take risks
Accept challenges
Practice Discipline
Gain endurance and strength
Use entrepreneurial skills
Fishing
Schooling
Teddy attended the high school of hard knocks. He received very little positive schooling experiences in K-12 with the exception of having an excellent track and field Coach who believed in him. Teddy played hooky a lot because he had a paper route, and the family needed the money. So, the principal assigned him to the track and cross-country coach for punishment. One person can make a difference! Ted cited the coach as a major influence who believed he had talent for cross country running and track. He saw talent in Ted. The team won the city and state events. Ted attributed his winning Influences in track and cross country to much needed discipline and endurance. He writes how those disciplines were needed to sail solo. His coach had him run around the gym for punishment, then forced him to be on the Cross-Country winning team. He was a winning track star that resulted in a city championship and college scholarships. Ted’s journals describe his high school and college track cross country coaches, as men who identified talents and worked with young men to excel in track and cross country. Some of his teammates have traveled to be here today.
Ted as Entrepreneur
Ted also learned entrepreneurial skills during his childhood
in the neighborhood. Besides delivering papers, he found ways to make money. The Black boys in the neighborhood set up delivery services for groceries. Every Saturday was shopping day in our neighborhood. Most of the people in our neighborhood did not have cars. The boys asked for wagons for Christmas so they could deliver groceries and make money. I think it was 25 Cents for a delivery. How does that relate to delivery services today?
Support of Others
Ted had personal visions that captured the support of others. He shares, “My Mother sent me letters all over the world, and provided me with humor at the outset when she reported her initial reaction to my folly, Going where? Seems like everyone is moving nowadays. Well, send a letter when you finally get settled.” Friends and relatives helped prepare the boat, lent money, and provided lots of “You can do it!”
Ted had personal visions that captured the support of others.
The Alone but Not lonely Sailor
I often wondered and worried about how Ted looked and felt being alone at night in oceans and having to be alert for huge vessels at sea that traveled in shipping lanes. As I was reading his journals, I got a sense that he had some challenges that could have resulted in disaster. He wasn’t sitting on deck drinking a cold beer and listening to some classical and jazz music. Instead, there were times that he was fighting for his life. He had to pull together all those skills he learned from the neighborhood, his trainings in track and field, the Marines and the strength to survive. He states, “The mast did not bend somewhere along the length and propelled violently to the opposite extreme, side to side. The mast seemed like a snake trying to propel me off the mast and into the ocean I was forced to work quickly because of the rapid depletion of strength which was required to hold on and at the same time remain steady. My hip, knees, ankles feet and arms were under incredible pressure. I had to do something that I can’t explain or even recall. It was something outside of myself. I think like a dream. When I woke especially and only part of the dream can be recalled and then it fades. Living on a sailboat for 51 years has resulted in many strange dreams.”
Some Other Remembrances
Interactions with Ted’s supporters, family and friends found out that they had many similar experiences and conversations with Ted.
He had many interests.
He was an on and off foodie
He played the stock market: Don’t call him when the stock exchanges were open
Organized his life information on about 200 index cards
Phone Calls. There were rules and times when he would be available to talk. When he did, the calls lasted for 3 to 4 hours and guess who did the most talking? TED! He shared his perspectives about life.
Because he lived on a boat with limited space, he carried a huge canvas bag with him. I noticed the bag in a picture of him.
He painted his old car with house paint and called it an upgrade.
Post Circumnavigation
Ted’s life after the circumnavigation was active. He was always on the move traveling the country and the world. He taught school. He rode a lot on the Greyhound Buses that he used to refer to as the dog. “I am riding the dog …on my way to see you traveling via the dog-- pick me up at the Greyhound Bus station.” Traveling by trains were included in his travels like a continuation of childhood exploits. The trains had special rates for 21 days from one destination to another. He drove recreation vehicles and sailed boats for cross country travel. I remember Teddy pulling up in my driveway in a Winnebago recreational vehicle along with his sons, Bruce and Keith.
I am proud to have witnessed my brother fulfilling his dream at such a magnitude against multiple barriers that had the potential to squash his dream. As a sister, along with the pride, there carried worry and concern. I drew a red marker around a globe that a friend gave me to follow Teddy’s route, so I knew when to look for written words that all was okay. I would pass along the news to the rest of the family with joy and pride. Upon Ted’s returning back home to St. Croix, I was so relieved and looked forward to seeing him. I pulled together our closest family living in California to witness Ted’s slide show as he gave an amazing presentation about this incredible experience in his life.
Legacy
Ted is leaving a life legacy for his children Bruce, Keith, Maya, his nieces Arlene, Cathy, Shawn, Angie, Sandra and lots of grandchildren and for students in schools who will learn about this historic circumnavigation. We must continue to share and educate about this legacy for future generations.
Closing
I am grateful that I had the opportunity to be close to my brother, and so thankful that I had our important relationship. Ted had an incredible life journey that I was able to witness and share it with him. I believe he can say with confidence,
“I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 7
Submitted by:
Dr. Ruth Seymour Johnson (Ted's sister)
July 2023
Photo
October 1st, 1941
Eugene, OR
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