David Seymour
January 23, 1965 - May 29, 2026
Obituary
David Francis Seymour, 61, of Madison, Wisconsin, passed away at Meriter Hospital on May 29th, 2026.
David is survived by his wife Kelly, his children Michael and Sarah, and his mother Elizabeth. He is also survived by his uncle, Chuck Swanson, his aunt, Diane Crossen Seymour, and cousins Becky (Peter) Lemon, Kris (Kyle Cormack) Swanson, Ross (Julie Nelson) Seymour, Teri Fleming, and Scott (Debbie) Feldbruegge. He was preceded in death by his grandmother, Evelyn Seymour-Feldbruegge, his grandfather, Francis Seymour, and his step-grandfather Herman Feldbruegge, as well as his uncle Allan Seymour, and his aunt Susan Swanson.
Born on January 23rd, 1965, in Los Angeles, David and his mom moved to Madison in 1967. David attended Edgewood High School and graduated in 1983. He went on to get a bachelor’s degree in Network Administration from American Intercontinental University, and he took additional courses through MIT. He worked at the Dane County Coliseum with his mother in concessions, at the Wisconsin Department of Corrections in IT, for Rockford Public Schools as a Media Technician at Ellis Arts Academy, and was an IASTE union stagehand for over 20 years.
David met Kelly in 2000 through a Yahoo Personals ad, and they were married in 2001. David enjoyed tinkering with computers and electronics. He offered to help with issues when anyone ran into these problems and had a knack for figuring out what was wrong and explaining what that was so you understood what was happening. He loved old cars, motorcycles, and trains. He liked watching his favorite mystery and Sci-Fi shows and was a lifelong Dr. Who fan. David loved taking the Merrimac Ferry with his family to Devil’s Lake to climb the rocks with Michael and play in the sand with Sarah when they were little. He also rode bikes all over Madison with Michael and Sarah and took them to garage sales where he taught them to barter. He enjoyed solving Sudoku puzzles and playing games- board games, TTRPGs, and computer games. He also liked listening to music and going to concerts, many of which he saw from backstage. Even though he never tracked his hours, David volunteered his time and skills whenever he could. He also liked to travel, going to places like Disney World, Boston, Alaska, and the Shakopee and Bristol Ren Faires with his family. But he especially loved going on day trips and short vacations with his wife.
With David's love of theater, he had the opportunity to work as the Media Technician at Ellis Arts Academy. Through his work at Ellis, he mentored many students in technical theater, teaching them about every area of stagecraft. Students on his tech teams were more than just budding stagehands, they created lifelong bonds because he encouraged them to communicate, collaborate, and cooperate with one another.
Dave, or as he was known to his union kin, Seymour, was a proud member of the IATSE local 251. He was an extra with the 251 from 1985 until 2005, when he applied for and received his union card. He not only worked with the local, but also volunteered his time for them. He supported new and veteran stagehands alike, showing them the ropes, as well as tips and tricks that he picked up over the years.
A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, June 8, 2026, at Ryan Funeral Home, 2418 N. Sherman Avenue. Visitation will be held from 2-5 p.m. on Sunday, June 7, 2026, at the funeral home. Burial will be at Roselawn Memorial Park, Madison.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Dane County Humane Society at giveshelter.org or Behind the Scenes, a group dedicated to helping stagehands with their mental health, at behindthescenes.org
To view this obituary, or to leave a memory, please visit: www.ryanfuneralservice.com.