Plan for the Future
Dr. Donald M. Seifert, a longtime resident and leader in the Summit, NJ community, passed away at home in the presence of his loving wife, Lynn. He was 91 years old. He is survived by his wife and best friend, Lynn; daughter, Abi Seifert and her wife, Laurie Germain; daughter, Posy Seifert-Smeulders, and her husband, Stephen Smeulders; two beloved grandchildren, Bianka and Alexander Smeulders; his youngest sister, Barbara Olson and his mother-in-law, Rose Munroe. He was pre-deceased by his brother, Paul Seifert, sister Bianka Taylor, and brothers-in-law, Harry Taylor and Ronald Olson.
Dr. Seifert was born in Bethel, Ct., to Paul and Bianka Hermann Seifert. He graduated from The Wooster School in Danbury, Ct., as class valedictorian and a heavyweight wrestling champion in 1951. He earned his Bachelor’s degree with honors in English-Literature from Brown University, and was a National Collegiate Champion and All-American Track & Field in the Hammer Throw. After graduating from Harvard School of Dental Medicine with highest honors, he completed specialty training in Oral & Maxillofacial surgery at NY Cornell, Kings County Hospital and Boston University.
Upon completion of his training, Dr. Seifert established the successful practice of Summit Oral Surgery in Summit, NJ. As a member of the local medical community, he was an attending surgeon at Overlook Hospital for over 40 years. At Overlook, he founded the residency in Dentistry, served as Chief and Director of Dental Education for over 10 years and was a member of many hospital committees, including Ambulatory Surgery, Executive Committee and Joint Advisory Committee while serving as an Assistant Clinical Professor at Columbia University.
A passionate member of the greater Summit community, he served on the Board of Directors and as President of the Board of Trustees at the Summit YMCA. A lifetime member of Summit’s Downtown club, in recognition of his numerous achievements, he was awarded the Outstanding Citizen Award from New Providence and Summit for commitment to local institutions. Always with a smile, he could be seen running about town, taking the time to have conversations with everyone he met. He was a dedicated patron of the local Natale’s Bakery and frequently could be seen leaving with his cup of coffee and a Philly Fluff in hand.
Having lived in Summit for over 65 years, Dr. Seifert got his first job at the Summit Express Moving Company, moving furniture to pay the rent while starting up his new Oral Surgery practice in Summit. He was an active sports enthusiast and could very often be seen cycling through the Great Swamp. He enjoyed sailing with his two daughters at Hunterdon Sailing Club at Spruce Run Reservoir and racing Sunfish at the New Jersey Shore and Long Island. He loved teaching his daughters how to rebuild an old wooden boat and how important it was to “use the right tools to get the job done right”. An avid skier, bird watcher, and gardener, his interests also included literature, music and history. He would FaceTime with his grandchildren and keep up with their interests of rowing and tennis. Always with a quest for learning, he audited classes at local universities, learning new languages in preparation for a trip abroad., and loved music so much, began playing the flute at age 70, practicing endlessly, always seeking perfection.
He loved traveling the World with his beloved life partner, “Lynnie” and together they would enjoy fine dining, making lifelong friends along the way, and creating new memories to last a lifetime.
But most of all, he just loved sitting in his sunroom with his coffee and his wife Lynn at his side, looking out onto his beautiful gardens, holding hands, and enjoying quiet times together.
