David “Dave” Monroe Seeger, 82, died at his Stayton home Oct. 2, 2023.
Dave was born to Albert and Edith Seeger on April 13, 1941 in Mehama. He was one of six children (Virginia, Robert, Lois (Pietrok), Joan, David and Phillip. The family lived in a home on the North Fork of the Santiam River when he was born. The family later moved “to town” to reside in Lyons, where Dave continued school and graduated from Stayton High School.
As a child, Dave loved animals and anything mechanical.
He met his future wife, Judith “Judy” Anne Lackner in high school. Even though they attended different schools, they had a few friends in common. After graduation, Judy attended college, and Dave went to automotive school in St. Louis, where he excelled. The school invited him to stay on as a teacher, but he came back to Oregon for Judy, whom he married on Oct. 3, 1964.
The couple lived briefly in Stayton and Salem before settling in Sublimity with their two children, Christopher “Chris” Michael and Jill Marie Seeger.
Dave was a mechanic for many years at German Motors in Salem, before starting his own business, Cascade Motors, which he ran out of a shop he had built next to their home in Sublimity.
During his years as a mechanic, Dave was known to be incredibly talented and extremely fair. After closing Cascade Motors, Dave spent a few years working with his son at his shop, L-5 Vee Dub in Salem, before retiring to be a full-time grandpa to his two granddaughters, Jessamy and Annika “Annie” Seeger.
Some of the best times of his life were being with “the girls” and going to all their basketball, soccer, and softball games. Besides his family and being a mechanic, Dave was interested in photography, loved to read, could fix just about anything, liked to go for long drives in the country, adopted the occasional stray cat, and was known for his sarcastic sense of humor.
He is survived by his wife, Judy; son, Chris Seeger; daughter, Jill (Eric) Salahub; granddaughters, Jessamy and Annie; and great-grandchildren, Lianore and Warren.
Serving the family, North Santiam Funeral Service, Stayton.
