02/22/2023

CSCA Hall of Fame Recipient Obituary for Dr. William (Bill) John Seiler

CSCA Hall of Famer Dr. William (Bill) John Seiler (Ph.D., Purdue University), Professor Emeritus at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, has passed away.

If you are coming to CSCA 2023 in St. Louis we will be holding a panel to honor Bill's life and legacy. We would love to have you join us.

William J. Seiler: Remembering and Celebrating His Life and Legacy

Thursday, 3/30 12:30 PM to 1:45 PM CDT (Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch Regency C/D)

This panel will include friends and colleagues who will share stories, memories, and lessons learned from Dr. Bill Seiler (2013 CSCA Hall of Fame Inductee, Professor Emeritus, University of Nebraska-Lincoln). Together we will remember and celebrate Bill's life and legacy which included 50 years of CSCA membership and service.

Below is the obituary that Bill wrote himself:

William (Bill) John Seiler, 80, of Lincoln passed away peacefully surrounded by this loving family on February 19, 2023, born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1942. 

Bill grew up in Shorewood, Wisconsin. He received his BA from the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater in 1965, his MA from Kansas State University in 1967 and PH.D. in Communication from Purdue University in 1971.  

At Whitewater, he met the love of his life Kathi, his wife of 56 years. They were married on August 6, 1966, which was the best decision of his life. He felt blessed to have met Kathi, his true love.  She took care of him through various kinds of illnesses, open heart surgery, four strokes, and MDS cancer. She was the one person who guided him through so many different journeys in life.

He taught at Purdue from 1970 -71 and transferred to the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. He was a Professor in the Department of Communication Studies for 48 years and served as Department chair for 21 years. He retired in 2020.

He received many honors throughout his career:  an Undergraduate Leadership Award, Outstanding Educator of America, Outstanding University and College Teacher by Nebraska Communication Association, Outstanding Young Alumni and Distinguish Alumni Awards from the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater and 2002 Boss of the Year Award. He also received the 2013 National Communication Association Basic Course Division Distinguish Faculty Award and was named to the 2013 Central States Association “Hall of Fame.”  In 2015, he received the National Communication’s “Wallace A Bacon Lifetime Teaching Excellence Award” and in 2017 he received the Robert J. Kibler Memorial Award for Outstanding Service. He authored many journal articles, scholarly book chapters and was lead author of three college textbooks.

Bill loved playing softball, golfing with his friends and traveling both domestically and internationally with his wife, family and friends. He was extremely proud of his daughters, Dana and Dionne and loved spending time with them, his sons-in-law, and his grandchildren. He enjoyed theater, 50’s music, his students and the Huskers.  Go Big Red! 

He is survived by his wife Kathi, daughters Dana (Lee), Dionne (Wade) and grandchildren Grant and Will Hunsaker, Zach (Abi) Nutt, Taylor Nutt, Stephanie (Dat) Do. He is also survived by his sister Joyce (Charlie) Kunda and nieces and nephews. 

He is preceded in death by his mother, Frances and father, William C. Seiler.

https://news.unl.edu/newsrooms/today/article/obituary-william-bill-seiler/