Dan Seavey – the Patriarch of the Seaveys – passed away this week. A young 87, he is already missed.
Words cannot express the loss of this great man. Deepest condolences to my high school friends – Dan and Shirley‘s three children – Mitch, Tracie and Darian Seavey.
Dan’s greatest pride was his family. His son Mitch is a 3-time Iditarod champ; he holds the Iditarod race speed record of 8 days 3 hours 40 minutes and 13 seconds to cover 1049 miles by dog team, from Anchorage to Nome. His team’s running speed averages about 8 miles per hour, very similar to our trawler speed. Mitch also holds the Iditarod record as the oldest winner, crossing under the Nome arch at ages 45, 53 and 57!
Dan Seavey’s grandson Dallas (Mitch’s son) holds the record for the most wins, a total of 6 as of 2024!
In the words of the great patriarch: “Take care of your dogs, and they’ll take care of you.”
In 2016, Dan was inducted into the Iditarod Hall of Fame for his work as a patriarch, a pioneer, and a preservationist for the Iditarod. Racing the Iditarod was more than a hobby for the Seavey family, it was their life. Dan was instrumental in getting the race started. By 2025 there were 4 generations of Seaveys involved in the great race.
The Iditarod provided the following in his honor.
Personal Connection: Dan Seavey was my favorite teacher at Seward High in Seward, Alaska. To pass the final exam of his “Environmental Ed” class we had to build our own shelter, start a fire without matches, melt snow for water, and then spend a frigid winter night on the snow pack! It was a memorable experience under the stars. Although some of us were actually within walking distance of home, no one dared to leave, so everyone passed!
In 2015, during an extended visit of my AK family {3 of this bloggers 4 siblings, plus numerous offspring, still live there}, Susan and Mike Gillespie, Capt Rick and I had the privilege of spending time with the Iditaride dogs in Seward. We also spent time at the homestead of Dan and Shirley, his sweet wife of more than 59 years; I recall Shirley served us her amazing lemon cake! Shirley passed in 2017.
To complete this tribute I am offering a special bit of music, click here to listen to a Seavey favorite from the Nitty Gritty Band, “Mr. Bojangles”.
This 1970’s hit sends me back to my days in high school, hanging out at the Seaveys home. It’s okay if you shed a tear and grieve with me.
To learn more about the legend, click here. Thank you Toni Reitter for the beautiful stories. Follow Toni here: https://www.instagram.com/tonichelle/#
Rest in Peace OG, sending a warm hug to Shirley.
@mitchseavey, @seaveydanny, @tonichelle, @mitchseaveysididaride
Exhale on the Water 
Sorry for your loss. He sounds like an incredibly person.
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poignant message, ray said, very lovely sentiment. This is akeeper. Hope to see it in your next book
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poignant message, ray said, very lovely sentiment. This is akeeper. Hope to see it in your next book
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I love your posts, Mary, but this was so special. Like Gail, I read everything about Dan (and loved the music, of course!). What an amazing legacy. Thank you for sharing it. We are headed back to the Yukon in June, where gold rush history is everywhere also. xo
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Thank you, Kim! Enjoy your time in the Yukon – June is a nice time to visit.
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I love your posts, Mary, but this one was so special. Like Gail, I read through everything (and loved the music of course!). What an amazing legacy Dan built. Thank you for sharing it. We are headed back to the Yukon next month, where gold rush history is everywhere also. xo
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Thank you, Mary. That was a wonderful post. I followed every link and read all the Dan articles that you included. Very interesting. I really enjoyed learning about Dan especially after meeting Mitch and Dallas. Thanks, Gail B. 🥰
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Thank you, Gail! I am so happy you got to meet them in 2024 – the year Dallas won his 6th race! It was a privilege to go to AK with you during the Iditarod, except for that part when I shared my COVID infection … still sorry about that.
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