Jerry Seals, M.D. quietly passed away after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease on October 13, 2023. He was born on November 1, 1946 in Laurel, Mississippi, the son of George and Mildred (Currie) Seals.
After the family moved to Buffalo, New York in 1958, he graduated from Buffalo’s Bennett High School in 1964. He attended the State University of New York at Buffalo where he obtained a degree in Pharmaceutical Science. Following graduation, he attended Columbia University School of Physicians and Surgeons (“P&S”) in New York City where he received his M.D. and went on to P&S’s Internship and Internal Medicine residency programs at neighboring Harlem Hospital.
After completing his residency, Jerry fulfilled his military obligations as a Naval Lt. Commander with a two-year subspecialty program in Infectious Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, followed by an additional Infectious Diseases Fellowship at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx, New York. During his stint in Atlanta, Jerry met his wife, Beverly (White) Seals, a trial attorney with the US Department of Labor, and they both moved to Columbia, Maryland, in 1980 where he started his medical practice, board certified in both Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases.
In 1985 Jerry was elected President of the Medical Staff for Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center where he also served for many years as Director of Infectious Diseases. Jerry was a loyal member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, the Greater Washington Boule, provided free medical services to uninsured residents through the Health Alliance Program and served on the Board of Directors for Erickson Senior Living.
Jerry was predeceased by both of his sons, Jarrett and Kylen Seals, but is survived by his wife Beverly, his daughter Kia Seals, his son-in-law Sebastiaan Oldenburg and his grandson Whells Oldenburg. He is also survived by his sister Patricia (Seals) Jones and his brother Benjamin Seals and their respective spouses Anthony Jones, M.D. and Sheila Seals.
A gathering for remembrance will be held at Turf Valley Resorts, 2700 Turf Valley Road, Ellicott City, Maryland at 1 p.m. Sunday, October 22, 2023. The internment will be a small private family gathering at a later date.
Those who wish to remember Jerry in a special way may make a tax-deductible donation in recognition of Jerry Seals, M.D. to the Community Foundation of Howard County. Donations will be used to support local nonprofits that address the issues about which he most cared.