10/02/2026
Orin Aldo Seager, known to all as Aldo, died on Saturday, September 26, 2026, at age 85. God, the Great Physician, answered Aldo’s prayers by allowing him to pass at home in his sleep.
Family, friends, and colleagues will remember Aldo for his steadfastness, sincerity, and gentle spirit. Rarely does one meet a man less inclined to call attention to his good deeds or more tireless in performing them.
Aldo was born in Price, Utah, and graduated from Ogden High School. After earning a certificate of completion in chemical engineering from Weber College, he served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in southern Australia. Stateside again, he attended Weber State College on a cello scholarship, receiving a bachelor of science in chemistry. In his early 20s, he met Lauraine Coombs of Spanish Fork, Utah, and the couple married in the Salt Lake Temple in 1964. He completed his medical degree at the University of Pennsylvania.
From 1968 to 1971, Aldo served in the U.S. Navy, attaining the rank of Lieutenant Commander. He interned at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida, and deployed to Vietnam as a Navy Medical Corps officer embedded in Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 10, which supported the 101st Airborne. During his tour of duty, he was exposed to Agent Orange, as were so many other American service members, and it took a toll on his health. Although Aldo seldom spoke of his wartime service, he let it be known that he was proud to be a veteran.
After leaving the military, the young doctor completed his residency in anesthesiology at the University of Florida and, a glutton for punishment, also earned a master of science in biochemistry there. While a resident, he was the anesthesiologist on a team that treated a 15-year-old girl who, through a hospital mix-up, was given three liters of the wrong blood type, usually a fatal error. Under enormous pressure, he made novel use of a heart-lung machine to correct the mistake. The patient returned home healthy two weeks later, the first known person to survive a blood transfusion of that magnitude. The case was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1974.
Dr. Seager practiced anesthesiology at North Florida Regional Medical Center in Gainesville for most of his career, often doubling as a DJ in the operating room. In 2011, he retired from North Okaloosa Medical Center in Crestview, Florida. His calm in a crisis saved many lives, including those of a close colleague, one of his daughters, and his wife. For the record, he would want anyone fasting before surgery to know that peanut butter is not a clear liquid.
Aldo was a humble and faithful follower of Jesus Christ. He held various church callings over the decades, including bishop, high councilor, branch president, and co-choir director alongside his wife, Lauraine. He nurtured a personal relationship with his Savior, and the Gospel guided his actions through the sunny and stormy seasons of his life.
Music was among Aldo’s many talents. He created sacred music, including a Christmas song called “My Offering,” for which he wrote the tune and lyrics. He also played the cello and sang as a baritone soloist. A listener once described his voice as “rich as melted chocolate.” In the 1970s, his performance of “O Divine Redeemer” during a church meeting moved Ezra Taft Benson, then an apostle, to tears.
Aldo stayed hungry for knowledge throughout his life, delving into everything from the wildlife in Madagascar to the Peloponnesian War. He traveled with his wife across Europe and into Russia. Knowing from his time in Vietnam that history books never tell the whole story, he taught himself German as an adult so he could better understand Germany’s experience of World War II. His curiosity could be childlike, and even in his 80s, he kept a sense of wonder. In recent years, it was a common sight to see him using his “brain,” as he called his iPhone, to read about whatever had piqued his interest that day. He is the octogenarian who became both proficient with apps and fluent in emojis. His insights, delivered lightly and sparingly, sprang from his native intelligence and had a way of crystallizing the truth.
Aldo unapologetically told bad jokes that he dubbed “groaners.” He delighted in puns, Pink Panther-esque absurdities, and funny takes on life’s serious moments.
To Aldo, soup, green vegetables, and leftovers were famine food. More famously, he had a legendary sweet tooth, keeping stashes of See’s chocolates, cherry pie, Rocky Road ice cream, and sugar-free raspberry Jolly Ranchers. Growing up, his grandchildren cherished him as a purveyor of popcorn, popcorn balls, and cotton candy.
Our Paw was often unexpectedly adorable, buying himself stuffed animals, naming household appliances, or offering tender compliments in handwritten notes and text messages.
Football season found Aldo rooting for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Florida Gators. As an aspirational fisherman, he dreamed of catching a marlin. Aldo owned a 25-foot, canary yellow Black Fin boat for many years, but good fortune eluded him. He joked about his bad luck, threatening to name the boat No Fish or Black Cloud. In the end, the boat remained nameless, though it witnessed countless outings with his wife, children, and oldest grandchildren in Florida’s lakes and coastal waters. Paw was fond of sharing that his favorite moment came when he reached the open sea and caught the first whiff of salty air.
Aldo is survived by his wife of 62 years, Lauraine, and his children: Brad Seager (Ysabel); Holly Tew (Aaron); April Seager; and Linda Crawford (AAron).
His legacy continues through his grandchildren: Austin Seager (Aley); Dana Ramirez (Alvaro); Chapman Tew (Alana); Weston Tew (Makenna); Mark Seager (Mary); Aubrey Ficklin (Seth); Tess Crawford; Erich Seager; Emma Seager; Kate Crawford; Darius Seager; Ulrich Seager; Ruby Crawford; Rose Crawford; and Bradly Seager, along with eight great-grandchildren.
He also leaves behind his brother, Paul Seager (Dianne).
Aldo was preceded in death by his son, Mark Aldo Seager; his parents, Austin and Fern Seager; his brother, Richard Seager; and his sister, Sharon Eastes.
Now that our Paw and PawPaw has gone ahead, we are endeavoring to persevere until we can be reunited with him and Mark in heaven. To know him, to love him, and to see the world through his eyes will be our eternal blessing. Luv much 🐾👻
Aldo’s family will hold a private service this week. There will be no public funeral, in keeping with his wishes. Interment will take place at Oak Grove Pioneer Cemetery in Union County, Florida, in November.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the cemetery, marked “in honor of Aldo Seager,” by check or Venmo.
By check: Oak Grove Pioneer Cemetery, c/o Susie Cabral, 11683 SE County Rd 245, Lulu, FL 32061 By Venmo
