HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES-2020-064 Resolution Honoring and Remembering Reverend Robert E. Seymour RES -2020 - 064 W 0 40
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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
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RESOLUTION HONORING AND REMEMBERING
REVEREND ROBERT E . SEYMOUR
WHEREAS , Reverend Robert " Bob " Seymour , a community leader , activist , pastor , advocate for aging
services , servant to those less fortunate and a resident leading the way for diversity , equity and
inclusion in our community , passed away on October 11 , 2020 at the age of 95 ; and
WHEREAS , Reverend Seymour was known for his life of service to the people of Orange County ; and
WHEREAS , Reverend Seymour was born in Greenwood , South Carolina , completed his
undergraduate degree at Duke University , a Master of Divinity from Yale Divinity School and a Ph . D .
from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland ; and
WHEREAS , Reverend Seymour and his wife , Pearl , came to Chapel Hill in 1959 where he served as
the first pastor of the Olin T . Binkley Memorial Baptist Church , which under his guidance became a
church committed to social justice and inclusion , and with Bob as a champion for social justice , Binkley
Church was one of the first interracial congregations in NC that challenged racial segregation ; and
WHEREAS , Reverend Seymour was compassionate and an advocate for those less fortunate in our
community , and from that passion helped organize the Inter- Faith Council for Social Service in 1963
and served as its first president ; and
WHEREAS , Reverend Seymour was an advocate for affordable housing , serving an instrumental role
in helping start Orange County Habitat for Humanity , and in honor of his service , the first building in
the Crescent Magnolia senior community was named the Beloved Community in honor of him and his
life ' s work of pursuing justice and fairness in Orange County ; and
WHEREAS , as Reverend Seymour was entering his retirement with 30 years of service at Binkley , he
was appointed to the Orange County Advisory Board on Aging , and quickly became an advocate for
aging services , serving on the Orange County Task Force for Senior Needs in Southern Orange
County and becoming the guiding force in the inception , planning and design of a new senior center ;
and
WHEREAS , in 2005 the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to name the new
senior facility on Homestead Road in Chapel Hill the " Robert and Pearl Seymour Center" in honor of
the Seymours for their dedication and commitment to serving the older adults in Orange County ; and
WHEREAS , in his retirement years Bob continued to be a prolific writer , including publishing Aging
Without Apology: Living the Senior Years with Integrity and Faith and "Whites Only" A Pastor's
Retrospective on Signs of the New South; and
WHEREAS , Bob ' s love for people , his boldness , generosity , and compassion for others will be greatly
missed ;
NOW , THEREFORE , we , the Orange County Board of Commissioners , on behalf of the residents of
Orange County , express our deep appreciation , gratitude and respect for the services rendered by
Reverend Robert E . Seymour to the County and beyond over e urse of his lifetime nd honor him
for his service .
This the 20th day of October , 2020 .
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