Laura Ann MacNeill Seidelman's Obituary
Laura Ann MacNeill Seidelman, 84, passed away on May 20th, 2026
Born on November 11, 1941, in Pasadena, California, Laura was the daughter of Colin and Lillian MacNeill. A true California girl through and through, she loved the beach, spending time with friends, and her lifelong friendship with her dear friend Kathleen.
Laura graduated from San Marino High School in 1959 and attended the University of Arizona where she met her first husband, Edward A. Wilson. She left school after her sophomore year to marry Eddie and begin raising her family of four children.
As the wife of a professional football player and coach Laura led an extraordinarily busy life. Over 28 years, the family moved 17 times as new teams and coaching opportunities arose. Laura managed each transition with determination and grace - selling homes, settling into new ones, and enrolling four children in new schools. Her family fondly remembers her racing through Chicago’s O’Hare Airport in a mini dress and boots, four kids and a dog in tow, trying to catch a plane during one such move.
Laura threw her energy into every move and embraced the new team and community, supporting the many promotional events and social gatherings associated with them. In the early 1960’s, she was notably the first woman to step foot in the Detroit Lions press box.
In the 1970’s, Laura joined a growing number of women entering the work force. Her first role was as a real estate agent for Century 21 before holding a number of executive assistant positions including with the Cornell Alumni Association and later Ketchum Advertising and the San Francisco Giants.
In 1989, Laura began a new chapter when she moved from Ithaca, New York, to the San Francisco Bay Area, where she met her second husband, Paul Seidelman. Together, they enjoyed Shakespeare festivals, boating on the Bay, and spending time with their children and grandchildren. Among Laura’s happiest memories were family trips to the Hawaiian Islands, especially Kauai. Paul passed away unexpectedly in 2013, but the years they shared remained among the most treasured of her life.
After suffering a stroke and later developing Alzheimer's disease, Laura spent her final years in assisted care. While these challenges gradually changed her daily life, they never diminished the love of her family or the many memories she created over a lifetime.
Laura’s warmth, resilience, humor, and generous spirit will be deeply missed by all who knew her.
She is survived by her sister Coleen Ricksen; children, Patricia Wilson, Deborah Wilson, Bill Wilson (Anne), and Heidi DiPippo (Phil)); her stepchildren, Michelle Seidelman and Jennifer Seidelman; her grandchildren, Corin, Devi, Adam, Isaac, Silvio, Izabella; and her great-grandson Kai Kinkhabwala.
A celebration of Laura’s life will be held July 25, 2026 at 2:30PM at St. Stephens Episcopal Church in Orinda, CA.
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