Forever In Our Hearts... Grandpa Milt

Leon Milton Sealy
1922 ~ 2011

The end of November was sad. I knew this day would come. I'm sad for the loss of our family, but so happy for my grandpa. He wasn't living life like he wanted. He couldn't fish, work, tell jokes, and run around. Nor did he know what was really happening around him. I know he is in a better place. I know he is happy and busy working. I am thankful for the gospel. Without it, I wouldn't have the comfort I have of knowing we will see him again. 

I am so thankful Isaac got to know who his grandpa was. Gramps was such a big part of my life, it means a lot of me that Isaac was around him for a bit of his life. He loves hearing stories of gramps when I was little. When I was little my mom said I would bounce around Gramp. One day I asked him, "How do you catch a squirrel?" Grandpa, thinking this little 5 year old wanted to know a real answer began to tell me how to catch a squirrel. I laughed and said, "Nope! You climb up a tree and act like a nut!" He laughed and laughed. All growing up he would remind me of that and he thought I was such a funny little thing.

I don't think there is anyone happier then my grandpa. He has such a great smile and such a contagious laugh!  When I lived with him for a short time in Jr. High, (when my mom first got sick) in the morning he would sing, "It's nice to get up in the morning, but it's nicer to stay in bed!" or he would tell me, "if we were meant to pop out of bed in the morning, we would all sleep in toasters!" My favorite is one day he drove me to the orthodontist to have them check my braces. The whole way there he said, "Are you sure you want to have straight teeth Ashley? The way I look at it is, if God gave us crooked teeth he would want us to keep them!"

Gramps always had something to say about everything. He would tell the craziest fishing stories. I would be fascinated with them because they were so interesting! I just never knew if it was the truth or not. Usually grandma would be laughing in the background saying, "oh Milt! You stop it." and gramp would follow up with, "Shirl, it's the truth!"  Then he would give me a big old smile! His eyes would just sparkle. I have so many memories of him working in Bear Lake. Painting benches, fixing things, of course he had bunnies over there too! In the morning I could count on him chopping of fish heads asking if I wanted to help. My answer was usually no! 

Grandpa had a great deep voice. I loved when he sang. Very low and raspy. He loved singing "blood on the saddle." But my favorite song he would sing was. "you can't go fishin in a watermelon patch... but you can be happy if you mind to!" There are several versus and it just made me laugh. Every year in Bear Lake he would sing that to me. I loved when he sat down on his back patio and stared at the lake. He looked so content and was happy with his hard days work. Of course he was always on the look out for a jack rabbit he could shoot. He told me those were terrible things to have around!

We had bunnies growing up because of gramp. He loved them. He had them at his house and would let me wrap them up in blankets and take care of them like little babies. He also had fish. Every house had a fish pond he built. He was proud of all the fish, frogs, and lillypads. When he lived in Highland he had so much land. The lane to get up to his house was very long. He had a little motorcycle that he would take me on. Down the lane and then we would go across to Adventure Learning Park. He would bring bread and we would feed the ducks together. Then we would come back, stop and see his pony Patches and he would let me ride her.

He is such an amazing man. I'm so thankful I have had 28 years of my life to be around him. He has taught me so much in my life. Even when I lived in Cedar, he moved to St. George. I'm so grateful I got to go and stay with him and grandma so often. He loved his cars and told Brett and I we had to take care of our car. He took us to get out car detailed (the one time we have ever done that!) He even gave us a special wax. It was the only one he used. I will miss you so much Gramps! You are always in my heart. Until we meet again...

(This little picture is Gramp holding Isaac in Bear Lake when he was 3 months old. Gramp had an extensive hat collection and I love that Isaac is wearing a little cap in this picture!)

The funeral was beautiful. Even L Tom Perry spoke. He grew up with my grandparents. My mom was thrilled when he said he would come. My mom and her sisters all spoke. They did a great job. They had funny little stories about my grandpa I had never heard before. Uncle Raymond (gramps brother) had so many funny stories about gramp. The best was all the grandkids and great grandkids sang "A Child's Prayer." It was amazing to see how many of us there was! Even my cousin Spencer came! We haven't seen him in ages. Gramps, you left a great legacy and a wonderful posterity. Thanks for teaching us how to work, how to live, and how to love. You loved our grandma, and it showed. You loved all your grandkids and again, it showed. We all love and miss you very much. My mom had the privilege of writing his obituary. I thought she did a fabulous job!!! 

Leon Milton Sealy

1922 ~ 2011

There is a missing piece in our hearts today as Milton—Husband, Father, Grandfather, Son, Brother, and Friend, has hung up his final gone fishin’ sign and returned to his Heavenly Home. Milton loved to fish, but will also be remembered as a fisher of men.

Leon Milton Sealy, age 89, passed away Nov. 30, 2011 in St. George, Utah, from causes due to old age. He lived life with honesty, integrity, hard work, and a sense of humor. His motto was, "Work, Work, Work!" He loved to work—work was his play.
Leon Milton Sealy was born April 27, 1922, in Thayne, Wyoming, son of Rachel Elizabeth Olsen Sealy and Leon Monette Sealy. He grew up in Logan, Utah, graduating from Logan High School in 1940. Milton married his childhood sweetheart and friend, Shirley Mae Phippen, on Sept. 17, 1941 in Preston, Idaho, later sealed for ‘Time and all Eternity’ Dec. 18, 1942 in the Logan Temple. Together they built six homes and raised five children.
Milton has always been connected to the beauty of God’s rich earth. As a child he enjoyed making clay rabbits and toys from the red soil near his home. As an adult, Milt enjoyed gardening, landscaping, cement mixing, carpentry, and raising multitudes of animals. As a sportsman, Milton enjoyed hunting, fishing, snow skiing, and water skiing—mastering jumping off the dock on one ski and holding the rope in his toe and in his teeth! However, high on his priority list of talents was his lifetime love of fishing. He and his father and two brothers more than likely fished every fishing hole from Utah to Wyoming. His humorous "Big Fish" stories will forever bring a smile to those who loved him dearly.
In his early-married life in S.L.C., Milton started his own business called, "Milt’s Quality Donuts." Later he worked as an executive for Won Door Corporation, installing folding doors in church houses across the U.S. When Milton moved his family to Highland, Utah, he served as City Councilman. He was an avid BYU football fan and honored member of the Cougar Club, traveling to games far and near. After he retired, Milton and Shirley served an L.D.S. mission as Public Relations Directors in Atlanta, Georgia.
Throughout his life, Milton has been a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Favorite church callings included Bishopric Counselor, High Councilman, and Scouting—taking the scouts to his donut shop to make donuts for fundraisers. As a reward, each young man got to make a giant donut out of a gallon can with the regular donut cutter used as the hole!
Milton is survived by his wife, Shirley Sealy; daughter, Vicki Clayton (Richard), daughter Linda Ottley (Dale), daughter, Loni Hatch (Blaine), son-in-law, Neal Maxfield (Jeannine), and daughter-in-law, Lori Sealy. Also survived by his brother, Ramon Sealy (JoAnn), his sister, Angela Bird (Karl), plus 24 grandchildren and 41 great-grandchildren. Preceded in death by his daughter, Judy Maxfield, son, Devro Sealy, daughter-in-law, Gayle Birch Sealy, and his grandson, Skyler Sealy. Also preceded in death by his sisters, Eva Summers and Ruth Nielsen, his brother, Denton Sealy, and his parents.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, December 5, 2011 at 10:00 am in the Highland 4th LDS Ward Chapel, 5848 West 11000 North, Highland, Utah. Friends and family may call Sunday evening from 6:00-8:00 pm at the Warenski Funeral Home, 1776 North 900 East American Fork, Utah and also Monday morning one hour prior to funeral services at the church. Interment, Laketown Cemetery.