| Robert
J. Seitz |
| NO.
17811 • 17 Oct 1928 - 25 Feb 2005 |
| Died
in Topeka, KS. Inurned in St. David's Episcopal Church, Topeka,
KS |
Robert Jordan Seitz was born to Robert and Margaret Seitz in Des
Moines, IA. In 1946, at the age of 17, he graduated cum laude from
Shattuck School, Fairbault, MN. During his senior year, Jordan took
the entrance tests for the Military Academy after obtaining an appointment
at the urging of his father and grandfather. One of his favorite
stories about taking the tests was arriving to find his friends
were taking the short test, and he was scheduled to take the long
one. He said he told the officer that he, too, would take the short
one because he had a date he did not want to break. Luckily, the
officer gave him the short test. Jordan entered the Military Academy
that summer, and later he frequently talked about receiving a few
demerits and having to walk them off. He was in Company F-1 and
a sergeant his First Class year. He served as an acolyte for two
years, on the Debate Council, and sang in the Catholic Choir for
four years. Jordan also was part of a group that sang at the White
House for President Harry Truman.
Jordan later expressed his thoughts on graduation in 1950, saying,
"I mark completion and graduation as an accomplishment because
it was a rigorous program and not natural for me, both militarily
and academically. I did not have a strong desire for a military
career, but in that, I do not think I was different from most. One
had to adapt to the system to succeed; I felt I would succeed because
to do otherwise was to fail."
Three weeks after Jordan's graduation, North Korea invaded South
Korea. He was assigned to Ft. Lewis, WA, training reserves recalled
to active duty. The training was done in groups of 200 in 21 day
cycles. Jordan's next assignment was in Salzburg, Austria, where,
he wrote, he "enjoyed life immensely, socially, (single), skiing,
and troop duty."
In 1954, while stationed at Ft. Carson, CO, Jordan left the Army.
He spent a few months as a ski bum and working for a building contractor.
In September, he left to teach Spanish and mathematics at Shattuck
School. In December 1955, he married Arlie Gilmore in Colorado Springs,
CO.
In 1956, Jordan became a student at Georgetown Foreign Service School,
and, a year later, he re entered the Army and was sent to the Air
Defense School at Ft. Bliss, TX. Afterwards, he served as battery
commander of an Air Defense Missile battery on Telegraph Hill, NJ.
In April 1961, Jordan attended the Communication School at Ft. Still,
OK, and then went to Germany as a battery commander in the 3rd Armored
Division, Hanau. In 1963, he served as a budget analyst and controller
at HQ U.S. Army, Europe in Heidelberg. Afterward, he returned to
Ft. Bliss, TX before joining the 52nd Brigade, Air Defense, in Sandy
Hook, NJ, as assistant operations officer. From September 1966 until
October 1967, he was stationed at HQ US. Army, Korea, in Seoul.
There he completed his work for a masters degree from Rutgers University
He was also deeply involved with the Pearl Buck Foundation, working
with fatherless Amerasian children.
From 1967 to 1970, Jordan was a logistics staff officer at HQ 1st
Region, U.S. Army Air Defense Command, Newburgh, NY. Subsequently,
he was stationed in Panama, where he worked with supplies to Latin
American countries Quarry Heights; controller, Ft. Amador.
In 1973, Jordan retired as a lieutenant colonel in Topeka, KS, and
completed work for a Master of Business Administration at the University
of Kansas. He worked as a program performance analyst and auditor
for the State of Kansas and later was the chief of the Bureau of
Right Away, Department of Transportation. From December 1979 until
October 1993, when he retired, he reviewed operations as a management
analyst in the Office of the Inspector General.
In 1998 Jordan married Judy Spiker Whitney They enjoyed seven years
together.
Jordan was dedicated to the Episcopal Church and was active at St.
David's. He was also very supportive of people in need. He took
piano lessons and regularly entertained the residents of a nursing
home. He also tutored elementary students and prison inmates. Although
he had a number of health problems in the later part of his life,
his death was unexpected.
Jordan's children remember their father as one who looked at all
experiences as learning opportunities. He encouraged them to swim,
sail, snow and water ski, ice skate, play tennis, and surf. He liked
to take them to history and art museums, plays, band concerts, and
musicals. His children appreciate these experiences and Jordan's
financial support, which allowed them to graduate from college without
college loans.
Jordan's memorial service was conducted 5 Mar 2005 at St. David's
Episcopal Church in Topeka. He was interred at St. David's with
military honors provided by the 568th Engineer Company, Ft. Riley,
KS.
Jordan is survived by his second wife Judy and his four children:
Annette, Susan, Jeannie, and John. He is also survived by eight
grandchildren: Jenna, Katie, Sarah, Pierce, Mason, Britt, Jackson,
and Sam.
|
USMA 1950