Margaret Seip

On Friday, June 21, 2019, following a very brief illness, Margaret “Dee” Decker Seip died peacefully and surrounded by family in Evanston, Illinois. She was 96 years old.

Margaret was born on May 6, 1923 in Erie, Pennsylvania to Marion Parker Decker and Kenneth B. Decker. She was graduated from Mercyhurst Academy in Erie in 1941, and in 1945, she simultaneously received a B.S. in Business from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and an M.S. in Merchandising from the University of Pittsburgh. Margaret was also a member of Sigma Kappa sorority. 

In 1945, Margaret married her husband of 72 years, Norman W. Seip, who preceded her in death last year. They raised two children in Erie, Tom Decker (Alexa) Seip of Easton, Maryland and Christy Seip (Craig) Fowler of Winnetka, Illinois. Margaret is also survived by her four grandchildren, Parker (Amy) Seip, Jake Seip, Hayley Fowler (Christopher) Monahan, and Liza Decker Fowler. She also leaves two great-grandchildren, Oliver Norman Seip and Amelia Margaret Seip. Her brother, Donald Decker, predeceased her. 

Margaret was descended from Stephen Hopkins, a Mayflower Pilgrim; Ethan Allen, a Revolutionary War hero; and Seth Reed, who founded Erie in 1795. Having lived in Erie most of her life, Margaret was a devoted member of her community and active in many philanthropic organizations. She was a Board Member of the Erie Infants Home, the Sarah Reed Children’s Home and the Visiting Nurses Association, to name a few. She was also a member of the Carrie T. Watson Garden Club, a GCA-member club, where she won many flower arranging ribbons over the years. In addition, she was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and Panhellenic Society. 

Margaret and Norman owned a second home in Naples, Florida for over twenty-five years, where she was also active in volunteering for the Naples Philharmonic. In 2013, Margaret and Norman moved to The Mather, a senior living community in Evanston, Illinois to be closer to family. 

Margaret enjoyed a life-long love of boating, gardening and cooking. She will always be remembered for her sweet, loving and easy-going manner. A lady in every sense of the word, she set a wonderful standard for all who knew and loved her.

A memorial service celebrating Margaret’s life will be held at the Cathedral of St. Paul, 134 West 7th Street, Erie, Pennsylvania on Monday, July 29th, at 11:00 a.m. Commitment of the remains, at Laurel Hill Cemetery, will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be made in Margaret’s name to:

Carrie T. Watson Garden Club Scholarship Fund and Lecture Series

3330 W. 26th Street

Suite 4, #104

Erie, PA 16506