Sandra Cole Seymour, age 90, passed away peacefully on Good Friday, March 29, 2024, at her residence in Carmel, New York. This was the very home her grandfather had built, even before she was born. Sandra was born on May 11, 1933, to the late Charles Homer Cole and Jeanne (Underhill) Cole. Sandra’s ancestors included some of the first settlers of Putnam County, some who fought in the Revolutionary War, and some of whom descended from the Mayflower. This historicity gave her a rich love for her heritage and Carmel, where she grew up and lived her entire life. She shared this love with others by giving away many copies of the historical map of Putnam County.
On June 17, 1956, Sandra married the love of her life, Morgan M. Seymour, Jr., who interestingly had been born in 1928, in a house directly across from which had been a birthing center at that time. Sandra and Morgan married in a beautiful ceremony at Gilead Presbyterian Church in Carmel, NY. She had attended this church as a child, where her mother played the organ for 40 years. Sandra had no siblings and, therefore, would embrace her own family of four children with great dedication and love. Morgan and Sandra built a home on Lake Gilead Road, where they lived out their 52-year marriage until Morgan passed away in 2008. Sandra had a persevering heart, steadfast faith, and a love for learning and education that she instilled in her children.
Sandra was a proud graduate of Carmel High School’s Class of 1950. Thereafter, she went to secretarial school and worked for Reader’s Digest until she decided on a course of education to become a teacher. She attended New Paltz College, where she obtained a degree in education. With a passion for shaping young minds, she spent her career as a second-grade teacher in the Carmel-Kent School District, where she was known for creative projects such as incubating chicken eggs and creating paper mache scenes of early Americana, thus providing children invaluable real-life lessons. In addition to her contributions to education, Sandra showcased her versatility by earning her real estate license when she retired from teaching.
Sandra’s spirit of service extended beyond her immediate surroundings as she actively participated in the local Historical Society and the Civic Association and supported the local police, her father-in-law Morgan Seymour Sr. having been Carmel’s first police officer, badge #1. Sandra’s dedication to loving God as a Christian became prominent in her activities, and she became involved as a loyal parishioner at Patterson Baptist Church. She followed God’s command to love one another by showing great generosity to people in need. Sandra cherished the simple joys of life. She found happiness in collecting artifacts from nature, such as bees’ nests, bird nests, rocks, and shells, as well as feeding little wild animals and birds. She loved word games that brought her a lighthearted pleasure that she enjoyed sharing with those around her.
In the later part of her life, she was embraced by her beloved caregivers, Avis (Blossom) Greenland and Apple (Audrey) Wilson, whom she dearly loved as her best friends. They afforded her the grace of living out her remaining days in the home she grew up in, overlooking Lake Gleneida.
Sandra leaves behind a legacy of love for family, embodied by her four loving children. Jayne, a missionary to Africa with her husband Gregg Yarian; Linda, a holistic nurse and Pomeranian breeder, and her husband Jay Hodgens; Daniel Seymour, the sculptor of the Wall Street Bull and creator of the Putnam County Seal; and Robert Seymour, a skilled tile artisan and percussionist, and his wife Kay.
Sandra’s love for family can be seen in the delight she took in her fourteen grandchildren, Benjamin Hodgens, Abram Hodgens, Sarah Hodgens, Benjamin Yarian, Rebecca Yarian Roach, Angela Yarian-Dwire, Daniel Yarian, Olivia Seymour, Aaron Seymour, Minori Seymour Pedersen, Daniel Seymour, Michelle Hikari Hernandez, Andrea Decker, and Jacob Seymour. She also delighted in her sixteen cherished great-grandchildren: Isaac, Abigail, Levi, and Samuel Hodgens; Isaiah and Gabriel Hernandez; Thea, Ender, and Sylvi Seymour; Lilia and Maisy Pedersen; Titus, Athanasius, and Justus Roach; Bruce Yarian, Dwire, and Kyniska Yarian.
Sandra Cole Seymour was a beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, educator, and friend. As we celebrate Sandra’s life, we remember Sandra for her unwavering determination and kindness, her devotion to her family, and the lives she touched with her generosity and compassion.
Visitation was held from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 12, 2024, at Cargain Funeral Homes, Inc., 10 Fowler Avenue, Carmel, NY.
A funeral mass to honor and celebrate Sandra’s life was held at noon on Saturday, April 13, 2024, at Gilead Presbyterian Church, 9 Church Street, Carmel, NY.
Following the Mass, Sandra was brought to her final resting place alongside her husband, Morgan (2008), at Raymond Hill Cemetery in Carmel, NY.
Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Cargain Funeral Homes, Inc., 10 Fowler Avenue, Carmel, NY 10512, 845-225-3672, www.cargainfuneralhomes.com.
