Harry Lee Seward

Harry Lee Seward, 62, of Exeter Township died in an auto accident on 11/8/10. Born 7/10/48 in Reading Hospital, he was the son of Harold W. Seward and Elinor J. (Tomkins) Seward. He attended Mt. Penn High School and earned a bachelor's degree in horticulture from the University of Georgia and a master's degree in horticulture from Michigan State University.

Horticulture was not only his profession; it was one of his passions in life. He worked for Zieger and Sons, Inc. Wholesale Florists for twenty years beginning as a Commission Salesman and eventually became Store Manager. More recently, he was employed to develop and maintain a large private collection of rare orchids. He combined his love of plants with his skill in photography, photographing the plants in his collection. From 2008 to 2010 he entered dozens of his own plants into competition at the Philadelphia Flower Show and was awarded multiple prizes for his entries. His specialty was orchids, but he maintained an interest in other rare plants. He enjoyed playing the flute as well as working with his hands and was skilled in carpentry, auto mechanics, and the craft of stained glass.

He was a member of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Orchid Society, and the Berks County Orchid and Plant Society.

He is survived by his parents, his sister Carolyn Jeanne Seward and his brother Paul N. Seward, his sons Adrian Louis Seward and Joshua Nicholas Seward, and their mother Alison (Boland) Seward.

A Memorial Service will be Tuesday at 2 p.m. in the Edward J. Kuhn Funeral Home, Inc., 739 Penn Ave., West Reading. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Plan USA, through which he sponsored children in need. (www.planusa.org). Online condolences may be recorded at www.kuhnfuneralhome.com.

The family would appreciate your anecdotes and remembrances. Please send to: adrianseward@gmail.com.