Norfolk City Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Seddinger, William A. "Billy" February 24, 1943
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Norfolk Virginian Pilot February 25, 1943 

                BILLY SEDDINGER DIES;  BELOVED WAR VETERAN

         One of Norfolk's Best Known Natives Succumbs at Age of 70

Billy Seddinger is dead and few words could strike grief to more hearts in 
Norfolk than these.
The death of William A. Seddinger, 70 year old Spanish American War veteran and 
one of Norfolk's oldest native residents and most widely known citizens, 
occurred yesterday at 4:45 p.m. at the Kecoughtan National Veterans' 
Administration Hospital in Hampton, after an illness of nine weeks.
Mr. Seddinger suffered a slight stroke December 20 and had seemed to be on the 
road to recovery until two weeks ago, when another and more severe stroke 
necessitated his removal from his home at 714 Boissevain Avenue to the 
Kecoughtan hospital, where he grew steadily weaker until death came yesterday 
afternoon. He was conscious to the end and died easily.
Billy Seddinger, as he was known to thousands of friends and acquaintances in 
Norfolk and throughout the country, was a war veteran who devoted the better 
years of his life to the welfare of other veterans.
                              Volunteers in 1898
He volunteered for service in the Spanish American War and served in Cuba with 
the Fourth Virginia Regiment. After the war, he returned to Norfolk and accepted 
a position with the Monticello Hotel, where he was employed for 31 years by his 
boyhood friend and schoolmate, Col. Charles H. Consolvo.. In 1935, when Post 
392, Veterans of Foreign Wars, of which Mr. Seddinger was an active member, 
organized its V.F.W. Drum and Bugle Corps Club, the position of assistant 
manager was tendered to Billy Seddinger, who happily accepted it. 
During 35 years or more of activity as a member of the United Spanish War 
Veterans, Billy Seddinger earned for himself a name as "the veterans' friend." 
He worked untiringly to assist in the rehabilitation of disabled Spanish 
American War veterans and to help the widows and other dependents of such 
veterans in obtaining every aid and benefit to which they were entitled. Friends 
say he never refused a handout to any veteran he knew to be hungry or penniless, 
and that he had been known to give food and money to literally hundreds of such 
veterans.
In recognition of his services on behalf of veterans, Mr. Seddinger was four 
times elected as commander of Marshall Tarrall Camp No. 5, U.S.W.V., was one 
time Virginia Department Commander and was elected several years ago to the post 
of junior vice commander-in-chief. He attended nearly every national convention 
of the U.S. W.V. prior to last year and had influential friends in every state 
in the Union.
                            Norfolk Resident All His Life
In addition to his activities with the U.S.W.V. and the V.F.W., he was a member 
of the Saints and Sinners Club and was vice president of the United Memorial Day 
Association of Norfolk.
Mr. Seddinger, a son of the late George C. and Mrs. Virginia Seddinger, was born 
in Norfolk November 10, 1872, and resided here all his life.
Besides being known as the "veterans' best friend," Billy Seddinger was known 
for years as Norfolk's best dressed man. His sartorial garb and the red 
carnation he wore as a boutonniere made him an object of attention wherever he 
went.
He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Annie B. Seddinger, a son, William C. 
Seddinger, of Dillon, S.C.; two daughters, Mrs. R.W. Sykes, of Washington, D.C. 
and Mrs. R.H. Thomas, of Atlanta, Ga.; and three grandchildren, William B. 
Seddinger, Charles Consolvo Seddinger and Sandra Thomas.
The body will arrive this morning at the H.D. Oliver Funeral Home, 1501 Colonial 
Avenue. Funeral arrangements had not been completed last night, but Mrs. 
Seddinger had expressed a desire to have a military service.

*****************************************************************************
 
William A. Seddinger -— Funeral services for Mr. Seddinger, who died Wednesday 
afternoon, were held at 10 o’clock yesterday morn­ing at St. Mary’s Catholic 
Church, with the Rev. E. C. Kiefer, officiat­ing. The Rev. P. C. Blackburn was 
present in the sanctuary. Several selections were rendered during the service by 
the choir of St. Mary’s Academy with Mrs. Joseph Lex, as organist. Delegations 
were in attendance from the various organizations of which he was a member. 
Interment was in St. Mary’s Cemetery with military honors. A volley was fired by 
a firing squad and a bugler sounded “taps” at the grave. Honorary pall­ bearers 
were Col. Charles H. Consolvo, C. H. Drummond, F. H. Rives, William Katz, Grover 
Gray, Capt. Ocie Boykins, Lieut. Francis Thompson, R. D. Duell, Joseph Rossano, 
Bert Wetzel, Harry Schanbacker, J. E. Hubbard, Thomas Stapleton, Sam Broudy, T. 
J. Bal­lance, James J. Maume, Jack Callum, Henry Moore, Leo Greenwood, Maurice J. 
Greenwood, Eddie Holmes, Ernest Padden, Col. Charles B. Borland, John D. Cor­
dell, Ralph Laughton, Max Levy, Frank L. Lawrence, Dr. Edward Myers, A. R. 
Thompson, William S. Wilder, Dan M. Miles, Wallace Wormington, Trving Lyons, Sam 
Green, John W. New, R. J. Throck­morton, Dr. Cabell T. Mercer, Carl Buckholtz, 
Senator Rice W. Means, Maj. S. Heth Tyler, William King, Frank Banks, L. Joe 
LeFauheur, P. T. Callan, Dr. Levi Old, William Maddox, Bush Creekmore, Capt. 
William Orthman, Benjamin F. Stewart, Tom Kennedy, H. M. Collice, Charles 
Burroughs, John Joseph Baecher, Comdr. A. H. Miles, George C. Cabell, Rev. W. H. 
T. Squires, D. D., and W. W. Norfleet. Active pallbearers were F. F. Woodhouse, 
J. T. Bannister, F. W. Walker, Marion Summers, W. B. Holland, Hugh Reid, M. 
Jacobs and F. K. Shepherd.

Norfolk Virginian Pilot February 28, 1943 

Additional Comments:
St Mary's

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