William Richard "Dick" Seymour, 87, of Harrisonburg, VA passed away Friday, November 10, 2017 at UVA Medical Center in Charlottesville.

He was born October 9, 1930 at Henderson, Kentucky and was the son of the late William George and Trume (Todd) Seymour.

On July 22, 1952, he married Lucy Jane Thorn Seymour, who survives.

Dick was raised in Huntington and Clarksburg, WV.  He attended West Virginia University and received a BS in Animal Nutrition with honors. He served in the ROTC Cadet Corp. for four years, receiving a Second Lieutenant commission upon graduation.  He then entered active duty, and served with the 3rd Armored Division Gyroscope, being promoted to First Lieutenant.  When the 3rd Armored Division went to Germany, he was promoted to Food Services Officer for Ft. Knox.

After serving two years on active duty, he again attended WVU and received an MS in General Agriculture.  He then joined Southern States Cooperative and was manager of Southern States Morgantown, WV Cooperative. Dick then moved to Bladensburg, MD and joined the USDA at Beltsville, MD as manager of the Meat Quality Lab.  He later joined the Cooperative Development Division, USDA as an economist.  While living in Bladensburg, he served on the town council for five years and as mayor for four years.  He remained in the Active Reserves as a food service officer, reaching the rank of Lt. Colonel.  He graduated from the Quartermaster School and U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.  During this period, he received several awards, including the Meritorious Service Medal for outstandingly meritorious service as a citizen soldier of the U.S. Army Reserves.

At the Cooperative Development Division, U.S.D.A., Dick did research and development with Frozen Food Locker Cooperatives, Craft Cooperatives, Vegetable Cooperatives and Recreation Cooperatives.  He worked for several years as Federal Coordination Officer, coordinating USDA Programs with Congress.  He received the USDA Distinguished Service Award for work with the department's small group programs.  Spending the majority of his professional career working at the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture as an economist, he authored several publication and magazine articles on various subjects.

After retiring in 1990, Dick and his wife, Lucy moved to Harrisonburg, VA.  He became active in the Harrisonburg Chapter of National Active and Retired Federal Employees, serving three terms as President and on the State Board.  He was a charter member of the Central Shenandoah Valley Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America. Dick was a member of Cooks Creek Presbyterian Church.

Surviving in addition to his wife are -

Two sons –

James William Seymour (& his wife, Valerie) of Denton, MD

David Allen Seymour (& his wife, Barbara) of Franklin, WV

Five grandchildren –

Scott Seymour (& wife, Kim); Andrew Seymour (& his wife, Jee Eun); Greg Seymour (& his wife, Kim); Kristin Seymour and Lindsey Seymour.

And four great-grandchildren – Cora, David, Evelyn and Jonah Seymour

A graveside service will be held at 11:00 AM Tuesday, November 14, 2017 at Kline Cemetery, 4190 Ridge Road, Upper Tract, WV  26866 with Rev. Stanley Kile officiating.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Upper Tract Rescue Squad, P. O. Box 1290, Upper Tract, WV  26866.