Robert F. Seely ’66

Bob died Feb. 11, 2026, at home in Exeter, N.H. 

He grew up in New York State’s Mid-Hudson Valley and came to Princeton from the Mount Hermon School (now Northfield Mount Hermon), in Gill, Massachusetts, where he worked on the library staff and the literary magazine. At Princeton, he studied history, belonged to Cloister Inn and Whig-Clio, and was on the debate team. Roommates included Jerry Sumida, Bill Childress, and Fred Forster.  

After graduation, Bob served in the Army for two years, stationed in Korea. Following discharge, he earned a law degree from Cornell. He focused his law practice on customs and international trade law, first in the United States Department of Commerce, then in Chicago with the law firm now called Katten Muchin Rosenman, and later in New York with Grunfeld Desiderio Lebowitz Silverman & Klestadt. He retired in 2020. 

Bob was an avid gardener and loved antiques. He and his wife, Rebeccah, restored their 1868 Victorian home in New Jersey, leading to its listing on the National Register of Historic Homes.  

Bob is survived by Rebeccah, son Ted, and two grandsons, to whom the class extends its condolences.