Alonzo Brown Seaboldt

SEABOLDT, ALONZO BROWN lived a long, deliberate life — one shaped by music, observation, independence, and love that was sometimes quiet but always present. Born March 26, 1929, in Mitchell, South Dakota, and raised in Huron and Hot Springs, he grew up in a time when resilience was not optional. Those early years formed him — stubborn in principle, enduring in hardship, proud in fatherhood, and deeply human. Music became his life’s language. After serving in Germany with the U.S. Army’s 7th Army Symphony and later the 64th Army Band, he returned home and spent his adult life teaching high school orchestra. For decades, he stood before young musicians, demanding precision and excellence, shaping not only their sound but their discipline and character. He did not simply teach notes — he taught standards. He married Darlene Elizabeth Bolender, his partner in life until her passing in 2005. Together they raised four children: Victoria (Mark), Robert (Lynne), James (Jennifer), and Mary (Cody). Fatherhood was one of his great sources of pride. That legacy continued to grow — he was the grandfather of 13 grandchildren and the great-grandfather of 6 great-grandchildren. His family, in all its branches, carried forward his name, his intensity, and his enduring love. He loved tinkering with anything mechanical, maintaining his home and property with care, operating his amateur radio, and telling a well-timed joke. He believed discussions should be reasoned, not angry. He valued independence and dignity, and he carried himself with stoicism even in his final days. One of his sayings was, “If it ain’t fixed, it’s broke.” That phrase captured his way of seeing the world — analytical, observant, strategic. Once, driving his MG sports car home through a blizzard after dropping his daughter at college, he pulled over and watched other cars spin out on the freeway entrance. He studied what they were doing wrong. When it was his turn, he planned his approach, avoided their mistakes, and navigated back onto the highway — making it almost all the way home before finally getting stuck one block from the house. That was him: observe, think, execute — and keep going. People who spent time with him often walked away thinking, “He’s sharp.” Quick. Formative. Enduring. Stubborn. Loved. He was a complicated but loving man. Strong in his convictions. Deeply proud of his family. Independent to the core. And in the end, he passed quietly and comfortably at his daughter’s home in Shelby Township, Michigan — held in the hearts of those he shaped. His music, his standards, and his strength remain. In lieu of flowers, charitable donations may be made in Alonzo’s name to the Save The Music Foundation or the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, supporting access to music education for students and schools nationwide. Save The Music Foundation provides grants for music programs and instruments to public schools so every child has access to music education. Website: https://www.savethemusic.org/ or Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation awards musical instruments to students and schools that cannot afford them, helping sustain school music programs nationwide. Website: https://mhopus.org/ Share memories with the family at their "On Line Guest Book" @ WujekCalcaterra.com.

Alonzo Brown Seaboldt

March 26, 1929 - February 19, 2026