Boddie Seay

Boddie Mason Seay—better known to family and friends as "Bo," "Dad," "Granddad," or "Gramps"—passed away on January 28 at the age of 93. A gentle man with a servant's heart, he was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. He entered the Army in the waning days of World War II, and he later studied electrical engineering at Auburn University on the GI Bill. He spent his career at Southern Company, where he helped design high-voltage substations and generation plans that continue to serve the Southeast.

When Bo retired in 1984, he told his colleagues that he looked forward to playing tennis, spending time with his wife, and traveling to see his grandchildren. He spent the final 35 years of his life doing exactly that.

Along the way, Bo was also a talented square-dance caller (until his wife, Frances, insisted he join her on the dance floor); a key member of the Finance Committee at Cahaba Heights United Methodist Church and Hickory Flat United Methodist Church (a job that, as his reverend recalls, nobody else wanted to do—but which Bo knew needed to be done); a fan of murder mysteries, board games, and crossword puzzles; a devoted caregiver to Frances in her final years; and a lifelong beard skeptic who, at age 86, finally gave up shaving and grew a magnificent beard of his own. As he dealt with memory loss in old age, his family and friends chose to live in the moment with him, and he remained happy, kind, and endlessly interested in his family's adventures.

He was predeceased by his parents, William Mason and Eunice, as well as by his wife, Frances. He is survived by his three sons, Richard, David, and Don; seven grandchildren, Thomas, Martin, Michael, Wilson, Django, Mason, and Jonnie; and five great-grandchildren, Tyrus, Jaedyn, Kade, Robert (known as "Bo" in his honor), and Wyatt.

Tonight, he's square-dancing with Frances in heaven, where somebody else is calling every single dance.