Bette Louise Seeland

Bette Louise Seeland

June 1, 1938 – March 2, 2025

Celebrating a Life of Purpose, Passion, and Love

Bette was an extraordinary mother, devoted community activist, patron of the arts, gifted pianist, outdoor adventurer, and thoughtful human being. She passed away peacefully on March 2, 2025, surrounded by her beloved husband David and daughters Lisa and Sarah.

Through years of health challenges, Bette's spirit never wavered. She remained deeply kind, relentlessly curious, and wholeheartedly committed to her family, friends, and the betterment of her community.

She is survived by her husband of 63 years, David Seeland; daughters Lisa Decker (and granddaughter Naomi Decker) and Sarah Altman (and son-in-law David Altman); and brother-in-law Roger Seeland. She was preceded in death by her sister Bonnie and brother-in-law Harry Toppings, sister-in-law Kathleen Seeland, and grandson Alex Schuh.

Born on June 1, 1938, to Myna and Vernon Lee Tilbury, she grew up in Zumbrota, MN. She attended Carleton College for two years and completed her undergraduate degree in Zoology at the University of Minnesota in 1960, where a ski trip led her to the love of her life, David. They married in 1961, honeymooned on the slopes of Alta, Utah, and never stopped skiing and seeking adventure together.

Bette received her master’s degree with a major in Biostatistics and a minor in public health microbiology from U of M while David finished his masters, next moving to Princeton, Kentucky where David worked for the United States Geological Survey, and Bette was active in the League of Women Voters and played the Steinway piano at the public library. They moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, while David pursued his PhD at University of Utah and Bette worked at the Utah State Department of Health as a statistician.

Settling in Denver, Colorado, in 1966, Bette was committed to making the world a better place and believed that she could have the biggest impact by focusing her volunteer efforts close to home. She was one of the founders of the Jefferson County Open Space program and a longtime secretary of the PLAN Jeffco board. Today, that legacy protects more than 58-thousand acres of natural open space – a lasting gift to her community. Jefferson County is a more beautiful place because of Bette and those she worked with.

Some people read to know things; Bette read to understand. She could explain local and global issues in a way that made sense and used her skills to analyze what was being done and then suggest what might need to be done to create better outcomes for the community. Since the 1960s she used these skills as a lifetime member of the Jefferson County League of Women Voters, participating as the League President, long time secretary and, until last year, as the First Vice-President in charge of all study and programming committees. She was the go-to source for knowledge about candidate and ballot issues for our family and friends. She canvassed, supported and encouraged local candidates she knew could make a difference. Even just weeks before her passing, she was still attending meetings and offering her thoughtful guidance.

Her small size and gentle voice belied her strong convictions and passions. She taught us the importance of making a difference in our communities. She taught us how to cook and bake (her Christmas caramels are legendary and a highly coveted gift), although we still can’t make a pie crust that is as flaky as hers. She also taught us the love of family – teaching us that we can do whatever we want and to be independent.

She enjoyed arts and culture. She played the piano beautifully, and was a long-time member of a piano group that would gather monthly to play for each other. Chopin was one of her favorite composers. Bette and David were long time season ticket holders to the symphony and theater. Bette made cards with dried wildflowers and also painted, capturing the beautiful mountains in Idaho and Wyoming during our annual summer trips to remote camping spots, while David did geologic field work for his USGS studies.

Bette had an adventuresome spirit, going to Europe for three months with four friends in 1960. Other adventures included her solo trip to France, England and Scotland in 2003. She had wonderful adventures with Lisa including South America (Peru, Chile), through the Panama Canal and Central America in 2018 and even managed to enjoy most of an Ireland trip in 2014 before she had to endure a six-week ICU stay in Dublin. She and David embraced adventure at every turn, and took more camping, hiking, and cross-country adventure trips than we can list, enjoying the natural beauty of the Rocky Mountains and the deserts of the southwest. They have seen just about all of the USA camping along the way in their VW buses (or Porsches). Even during the last couple of years, Bette still managed to walk up to a mile at a time with David in the nearby parks.

She supported David’s passion for vintage Porsches, and they participated in 42 PCA Porsche Parades where they autocrossed, participated in rallies, and in Concours d’Elegance competitions, all while enjoying the company of like-minded Porsche fanatics.

She will be missed. We only hope to live with half the grace, generosity, and quiet strength she shared every day.

The family is kindly declining flowers and food. With Bette’s passion for community and making a difference locally, donations to the Jeffco Action Center, www.theactioncenter.org, Jefferson County League of Women Voters, www.lwvjeffco.org, or PLAN Jeffco, www.planjeffco.org, would be more meaningful to her We’d be remiss if we didn’t remind you to stay engaged, be involved in local issues, notice the beauty around you, be kind, take action and VOTE!