Pearl Seymour dies at 84

A service was held to honor the memory of Pearl Francis Seymour this weekend, but her dedication to Chapel Hill has ensured that her legacy will persist long after the ceremony’s closing words.

Seymour, 84, died Oct. 28 after battling dementia for several years. Saturday’s service was held in her honor at Olin T. Binkley Memorial Baptist Church.

She spent her last few months in Carol Woods Retirement Community in Chapel Hill with her husband of 55 years, Robert Seymour Jr.

“They were both so civic minded,” said Robin Bailin, the facility manager at the Robert and Pearl Seymour Center, one of the Orange County Department of Aging’s two senior centers.

The couple was so instrumental in getting the original spot for the senior center on Elliot Road — it has since moved — that it was later named after them.

“Bob and Pearl have given so much time. Naming the center after them was never about money, it was about their devotion,” she said.

Seymour was a practiced organist and piano player. She played the piano weekly at the senior center for the guests at afternoon teas.

“She was extremely musically talented,” Bailin said. “Whenever we needed something, Pearl would be the first to take a stand.”

While Seymour was known at the center for her playing, her demure demeanor didn’t go unnoticed.

“She was quiet but always smiling. She was the epitome of a true Southern woman,” Bailin said.

The Seymours were also a vital asset to the beginning of Olin T. Binkley Memorial Baptist Church, founded in 1958. Pearl played the organ at the church for 30years, and her husband served as the pastor.

“The music that she provided was the glue that brought the service together,” said Peter Carman, the church’s minister.

Seymour’s busy schedule helping at the church and the senior center didn’t deter her from further pursuits, such as playing tennis, staffing polling stations on election day, playing with her grandchildren and reaching out to the community’s youth.

“She even found the time to teach children how to play the piano in her home,” said Janice Tyler, director of the Orange County Department of Aging.

Seymour taught music at Mars Hill College before moving to Chapel Hill, where she taught lessons from her home even after moving into a retirement community.

While many of her friends agree that Seymour was the quiet force behind her husband, there was one subject she couldn’t hold her tongue about.

“Pearl wasn’t quiet when it came to her Tar Heels,” Bailin said.

The UNC men’s basketball team was often the conversation of choice for Seymour, and she attended many games.

“She followed the basketball team wherever they went,” Tyler said. “Whether it was Alaska, Hawaii or any NCAA games she could get her hands on, she was an avid fan.”

And Chapel Hill will remember Seymour for that dedication and her love of the community.

“She was a lovely, caring human being that truly cared about people,” Bailin said.

Contact the City Editor at city@dailytarheel.com.