Kermit Allen ( “Kip”) Seefeld Jr.
The world has lost a very wonderful man, a true gentleman. On June 5, 2020 Kermit Allen Seefeld Jr, died following a long battle with Parkinson’s with Lewy Body Dementia; a battle he fought with uncommon dignity and grace.
Kermit, known to all who loved him as Kip, was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Kermit Allen Seefeld Sr. and Vivian Petrie Seefeld on March 5, 1944 . When Kermit Sr. came to Santa Barbara to teach at fledgling UCSB, then located on the Riviera, Vivian, 18-month-old Kermit Jr and older sister Joanne soon followed. Kip remained a Santa Barbara boy all his life. He attended Roosevelt School, where his mother Vivian was his kindergarten and 1st grade teacher, La Colina Jr. High and Santa Barbara High School, graduating in 1962. After high school he went on to the University of California, Berkeley ( Go Bears!) where he was an enthusiastic member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. It was at Cal that he met his wife Kim on a blind date, though they didn’t marry until 20 years later.
Kip graduated from Cal with a degree in Economics, then entered the United States Navy Flight Training program in Pensacola, Florida. Following his discharge in 1970, when the Navy decided it had too many officers, he happily returned to Santa Barbara, never to leave again.
Kip’s business career began in banking at Wells Fargo Bank, then at Santa Barbara Bank& Trust where he specialized in commercial and real estate lending. He went on to become President of a commercial real estate management firm and ended his career as an owner/manager of rental real estate properties owned by him and his family.
Kip was an avid and skilled golfer, renowned for being able to “get up and down from anywhere”; his feats being dubbed by his golf buddies as “ Seefeld Pars”. He loved to play bridge with his old college friends. He possessed a keen intelligence enhanced by a wickedly dry wit liberally applied to his interests in finance, politics and sports.
Most of all he loved his family. He was a good and loving son to his parents and brother to his sisters. He took enormous pride in raising 4 boys to become really fine men who were hard workers with successful careers, good husbands and fathers ,who all chose smart, beautiful, independent women as wives. He considered them his greatest legacy.
Kip is survived by his wife of many years, Kim Antoinette Harley Seefeld, sons Kermit Allen “ Kas” Seefeld III, wife Julie, and the “ Bollinger Boys” , Christian ( wife Cara), Wyatt and Alex ( Maureen) and his grandchildren Kermit Allen Seefeld IV, August Armour Seefeld, Caitlin Christine Bollinger, Charles Nicolas Bollinger and Connor Harley Bollinger, as well as his sister Joanne Seefeld Rapp. He was preceded in death by his parents Kermit Sr. and Vivian Seefeld and his much loved and missed sister Patricia Lee Seefeld
All who knew and loved him will forever miss and never forget this incredibly kind, generous, gentle man.
A cocktail party that Kip wished to hold for his friends and family will be held later in the year at his favorite golfing venue when it re-opens. Anyone wishing to make a donation in his honor may do so to the Wounded Warrior Project, Special Olympics or VNA Hospice.