Harry Edward Seltzer III, 58, of Commerce Twp., was a loving and devoted husband, father, son, brother, uncle, mentor, and friend. He was a talented cabinet-maker who lived his life to the fullest and felt the world around him deeply. He was also well known for his offbeat sense of humor and his passion for sports – mainly his home teams, the Yankees and New York Giants.
Harry passed away peacefully, surrounded by loving family and friends, at his home on Sat., Nov. 27, 2010, after several months of struggling with lung cancer.
Harry was born on Nov. 13, 1952 on Long Island, New York. After serving in the Navy, he graduated from San Diego State University in 1979 with a degree in industrial arts. He went on to achieve certification in rehabilitation therapy in Long Beach, Calif. His career spanned rehabilitation medicine and cabinet making for 41 years.
He ran in many marathons and was a triathlon athlete. He coached his daughters’ softball teams for many years. After ten years in Michigan, he went back to his true love in industrial arts and ran his own cabinet-making business, with much of his work in New York City. He loved canoeing, going to ball games, listening to Bruce Springsteen, and recently took up the electric guitar.
Harry will be greatly missed by his wife of 36 years, Maryjane; his daughters, Melanie, Kristin and Stacey; his sons’ in law, Bryan and Michael; his mother, Corinne; sisters Charlotte, Mary Lou and Patty; brothers’ in law, Todd, Arn and Jim; sister in law, Jeanne and her husband Don, and many nieces and nephews. Harry also leaves behind dedicated and loving friends and neighbors, many of whom helped take daily care of him during his illness. The family extends a special thanks to friends Craig Weiss and Nick King for their kindness and generosity during this difficult time.
Harry was predeceased by his father, Harry E. Seltzer Jr. of California, his stepfather, Frank Christiana of New Jersey, and his father-in-law Thaddeus (Ted) Demski and mother-in-law Stefanie Demski of Ohio.
Harry had some favorite quotations—some serious and some funny—which he posted around to remind himself of his own thoughts and feelings about different things in his life. Here’s one for Harry from The Boss: “Let’s take the good times as they go, and I’ll meet you further on up the road.”
A memorial dinner service and celebration of Harry’s life will be held on Fri., Dec. 3, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Richardson Center at 1485 Oakley Park Rd., in Commerce Twp.
