By Charles M. Kelly
More than 400 individuals attended the Friday, Feb. 28, Celebration of Life for Seth Eaker, according to Scott Newton of the Seal Beach Lions.
Eaker, a Seal Beach activist and past Lions club president, passed away last December at age 46.
Cars overflowed the parking lot of Old Ranch Country Club and many who came to pay their respects parked in neighboring streets. Old Ranch employees were bringing in chairs as guests took their seats.
Pastor Tia Wildermuth, Eaker’s spiritual advisor, officiated at the ceremony. She said she and Eaker were close friends. She said one of the great honors of her life was officiating at the wedding of Eaker to Anthony J. Morgan. She said she would carry Eaker with her.
“He will effect my ministry,” she said.
Later, during her closing remarks, Wildermuth said she and Eaker spoke the day before he died. They spoke about the movie “Frozen 2,” and she quoted the final lines of a song from the movie:
“When it’s clear that everything will never be the same again
“Then I’ll make the choice to hear that voice
“And do the next right thing
Morgan said he was honored and proud to be Seth’s husband. They were married for six years.
Morgan thanked Eaker’s friends from the United Kingdom, New York and other places who had traveled to say farewell.
Morgan said Eaker had friends in the Seal Beach Police Department, Run Seal Beach, the Chamber of Commerce, the Seal Beach Police Foundation and the Lions.
Morgan described their first meeting in Philadelphia. He was at a drinking fountain when Eaker “bounded up” to him.
(Later during the celebration, Eaker’s mother Marcia Brashier said that he called her after his first date with Anthony and said he might have found the one. After the second date, he called her and said, “I think I’m in love.”)
Morgan described Eaker as loud and extroverted. According to Morgan, it was how different they were that made the relationship work.
He said Eaker grew up on stories of magic and fantasy.
According to Morgan, Eaker’s philosophy was that life was a gift, a ticket that had no cash value, was non-transferable and non-refundable.
Morgan said Eaker kept a red ticket to remind himself of this philosophy.
“If i could chose one word to describe hi, it would be giver,” Morgan said.
“Seth, you will always be loved, always admired, never forgotten,” Morgan said.
The next speaker was Eaker’s mother Marcia Brashier, accompanied by four friends to lend their moral support.
She said she was proud of what Eaker did with his educational choices. When he graduated business school, he told his mother he didn’t want to go into corporate America. Instead, he said he would go into his own business so “they can never fire me,” Eaker said.
Brashier said he wanted to help people be the best that he felt they could be.
Eaker turned down a Harvard scholarship to attend Swanee College in Tennessee. He came out as a gay man at Swanee. After he came out, a fraternity asked him to join them.
Seth’s brother Craig Brashier said, “We first knew him as a brillian boy.”
According to Brashier, at age 6, Eaker had memoriazed the periodic table.
Brashier described him as an amazing uncle. “We learned a lot when he was with us,” Brashier said.
For a musical interlude, Seth’s Eaker’s brother Craig Brashier performed “Think of me” on the harmonica. He’d originally planned to perform “Amazing Grace,” but decided the song was not approperiate for Seth Eaker.
The performance was followed by a video tribute to Eaker created by his friend Deb Machen.
Alan Eaker, Seth’s father, said, “The day Seth was born was the happiest day of my life. The day he left us, the saddest day of my life.”
Alan Eaker said Seth was an optimist. When he was a member of the forensics society, he gave a speech about optimism as a way of life. Alan Eaker said that in Seal Beach, Seth Eaker found a community he could be part of.
Morgan read remarks sent by Seth’s stepmother Raffi Brown.
“Best carry on and do what Seth would do, with intention,” Brown wrote.
Chad Berlinghieri sang the Gospel song “Stand By Me” and “You Are Mine.”
The celebration was followed by a reception. Well-known Eaker expressions—”Sethisms”—appeared on signs on the tables. Sethisms were also printed on the back of bookmarks placed on each of the chairs before the service.
Here are three examples:
“Always tell the truth.”
“Life is urgent by nature.”
“I’m all in.”