Palatine's Dave Seiffert remembered for community spirit, love of local sports
Dave Seiffert, a former Palatine Township School District 15 board member, is being remembered for his gregarious personality, and his love of local sports and the community at large.
Seiffert, 58, died suddenly at his Palatine home Nov. 28 of what his family suspects was a heart attack, said his daughter Grace, 20.
"He was the loudest guy in any room. He had the ability to make everybody laugh and had those classic dad jokes," Grace said. "He was just a personable guy."
His son Luke, 18, said his father's personality was caught perfectly on camera earlier this year, during a basketball game at Palatine High School, where Luke plays. While watching the postgame film, the team saw that as the clock ran down, his father screamed a cheer so loud that the camera shook.
"Everyone was like, 'That's Mr. Seiffert,'" Luke said.
Seiffert recently was divorced from Beth Poyner Seiffert. She and the family started a GoFundMe fundraiser in his honor to benefit the baseball, softball and basketball programs at Palatine High School. Luke and Grace played those sports and their father said he planned to make a donation to the programs after Luke's graduation, the siblings said.
The fundraiser had a goal of $3,000, but already has yielded $23,000 - and counting. "It is incredible and it has blown my family away," Grace said.
Seiffert graduated from Deerfield High School and Western Illinois University. He worked for Vitners - Snak King after working for Hudsonville Creamery and Ice Cream and Good Humor ice cream, and was known for bringing ice cream and potato chips home and to meetings.
He served on the District 15 school board from 2011 to 2017, after previously volunteering as chairman of the Palatine Township District 15 Educational Foundation.
"He was a very warmhearted person," said District 15 board member Zubair Khan, who especially appreciated Seiffert's welcoming attitude when Khan was first elected.
People always felt comfortable talking to Seiffert, who focused on things like contracting local vendors, Khan said. "He used to really care about taking care of the community."
TerrieAnn Jones, co-president of the Palatine High School Pirate Booster Club, said Seiffert always found ways to support the cause - from emceeing at dinner auctions to helping out impromptu at a "Chuck-A-Duck" fundraiser during a basketball game.
"It's so sad that he's gone," she said.
Seiffert also served on the boards of the Palatine Youth Baseball Softball Association and the Palatine Amateur Football Association, and on the plan commission for the village of Palatine.
"Dave had a passion for the community that you could see through his involvement with sports, the schools and his service to the village," Village Manager Reid Ottesen said. "He was a valued member of the plan commission and over his years of service, contributed to making Palatine the community it is today with the many projects he was able to help shape. All of Palatine will feel his loss."
To contribute to the Dave Seiffert Memorial Fund, visit gofundme.com and search for "Dave Seiffert Memorial Fund for Palatine Sports."
All time slots have been reserved for a visitation Thursday. A service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday and broadcast via Zoom; the link can be found at kelleyspaldingfuneralhome.com. For more information, call Kelley & Spalding Funeral Home at (847) 831-4260.