Eric Paul Seiler Sr., loving husband and father and retired CEO of Seiler Instrument, passed peacefully in his home on January 7, 2024. Eric was born to Eric H. and Dora Seiler on March 1, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him. He was 95.
Eric loved deeply and fiercely. He loved the mountains and being in the country. He loved Germany and traveling, salting his food and a good glass of wine. He loved playing golf. But most of all, he loved his family.
After returning from his first tour of duty to Japan, Eric met Elaine Doerbaum in 1948 at an ice-skating rink. In his own words, “I saw the most beautiful lady in an ice-skating rink. She didn’t know how to ice skate at all! So, I thought I would help her. And she said yes!” The two were married in 1950. They always made a great team, whether they were raising children, traveling the world, or winning at bridge. Eric’s second tour in 1953/54 was to Japan again and this time, Elaine could join him because he was a Sergeant.
Some of their favorite trips included seeing the Sphinx in Cairo, visiting Mexico and the Caribbean on several occasions, and their many trips to Germany. As the family grew, they hosted a reunion in the Lake of the Ozarks every summer. Most recently, Eric and Elaine traveled to the Dominican Republic in February of 2023 with family and friends from the company.
During his life, Eric had many achievements. For over 50 years he was a member of Webster Groves Presbyterian Church. He was also proud to carry his father’s legacy at Seiler Instrument Company and build up the business from struggling to thriving, then write the company and family history in a book titled Precision. Outside of work, he explored his love of mountains and climbed to Base Camp of Mt. Everest and summited Longs Peak in Estes Park, Colorado. He got a hole in one on two occasions during his golf “career,” though he would be the first to tell you it was more luck than skill. For his two tours of duty in 1946 and 1953, he was given the opportunity to go on an Honor Flight with his grandson Kurtis as thanks for his service. He finished his service in 1955 honorably as a Staff Sergeant.
He is survived by wife of 73 years, Elaine, their 3 children Eric Jr. (Nancy), Louise (Tom), and Tom (Teri) and their 6 grandkids Kurtis (Kate), Eric 3rd (Clarissa), Nicole (David), Matt (Annie), Sam, and Tanner. He was lucky enough to meet his four great-grandchildren, Theo, Autumn, Sage, and Everett. Eric is preceded in death by his mother, Dora Seiler, and his father, Eric H. Seiler.
Eric would leave us with these words that he penned in Precision:
“We must always be on guard for the unexpected, remembering that the only thing for certain is change itself. To be successful, we must anticipate changes and be ready for them. If we do this, we have a wonderful opportunity to leave a legacy to our children in the form of a company that thrives on vision, integrity, skill, hard work, and a spirit of service (xii).”
Understanding the man that he was is understanding that his legacy isn’t only found within his company, but in the way he inspired his children and grandchildren to improve upon the world that he has left behind.
Visitation was held Tuesday, January 9th from 4:00pm-8:00pm at Bopp Chapel in Kirkwood, and a private service was held on Wednesday, January 10th at 2:00pm, also at Bopp Chapel. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, please consider giving to a charity of your choice.
