William (Bill) Seiden

Published 8:05 am Monday, September 10, 2018

William (Bill) Seiden, 91, of Bend died on August 8, 2018, in Bend, Oregon. A fierce proponent of democracy and freedom, Bill passed away peacefully under Oregon’s Death with Dignity Law surrounded by family and friends.

Bill relocated to Bend, OR in 2001, to be closer to his children and grandchildren. He became very active in the Rotary Club of Bend and organized a student exchange program with China. At a party at his home on August 5, over 75 Rotarians, neighbors, family and friends celebrated his life with him. Just before his death he was honored by the Rotary club as their outstanding public volunteer. He is the only two–time recipient of that award. In addition, the club has established a fellowship program in his name.

Before moving to Bend, Bill lived in Westport, CT, where he was also an active Rotarian and public servant. He was Westport’s First Selectman from 1981 to 1985, and served in other elected and appointed positions in the city. He was responsible for establishing a Chinese sister city, YangZhou, which is also the city where Bend schools have student exchanges. Bill also had a long private sector career as an engineer and executive, working for companies such as the Telex Corporation, Packard Bell Television, and Raytheon.

Bill is survived by his son Ken, son-in-law Joel, daughter Mei, sister Carole, 5 grandsons (Ben, Josh, Grant, Brock and Ethan), his granddaughter Londy, and numerous in-laws, cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends. The family would like to express our thanks for the wonderful care and assistance provided by St. Charles Health System and St. Charles Hospice, and all of the doctors, nurses, administrators and others within your organization. We are truly grateful for all of your support and love for Bill. If desired, friends may make contributions in Bill’s honor to the Rotary Club of Bend.