Gloria Walls Seelye

Gloria Walls Seelye, who wrote a book on the history of Fallbrook and was active in a number of community organizations, died June 5 at age 87.

Gloria had a distinguished career in journalism and as a political consultant. She died at her home of cancer-related complications.

In Fallbrook, she served as president of the Angel Society from 2009 to 2011 and was a board member for more than 20 years. She also had served on the Board of Directors of Rancho Monserate Country Club, where she lived.

Gloria was hired to write an autobiography of First Lady Pat Nixon in the early 1970s, but the project was canceled after Watergate. She rode on Air Force One and attended Tricia Nixon’s wedding while working on the book.

She was born in Anaheim, raised in Whittier, and started her journalism career at age 17 working at the Montebello News and Whittier Reporter after graduation from Whittier High School. She met her husband, Howard Seelye, while working on the student newspaper at Whittier College; they both spent nearly 30 years working in the newspaper business.

The Seelyes semi-retired in 1984 and moved to an avocado ranch in Fallbrook and built a home.

With her husband, Gloria owned the Pismo Times in the early 1950s and then she returned to complete college as their two children entered elementary school. She graduated from California State University, Los Angeles, with a degree in journalism in 1959.

She was editor of Palos Verdes News from 1960 to 1966, which she and her husband owned along with investors. Howard was the publisher. She served as the women’s editor of the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner in the late 1960s. She worked for the Bergen Lee Public Relations firm, purchased a Hallmark Card Shop in Huntington Harbour, and served as media coordinator for State Sen. Marion Bergeson of Newport Beach from 1978 to 1983.

Gloria and Howard started the gh Communications public relations firm in Fallbrook in 1985.

She was inducted into the Whittier High School Hall of Fame in 2005 in recognition of her service to the school and for her career in journalism and politics.

In Fallbrook, she also served as president of the Fallbrook/Bonsall Newcomers group, as president of the Fallbrook Republican Women’s Club and served on the board of the Fallbrook Library Auxiliary. She was honored as the Woman of the Year by the Covina Junior Woman’s Club in 1959.

Gloria is survived by sister Nancy Cagney of Rio Vista, Texas; a son, Randy Seelye of Santa Rosa, Calif., and a daughter, Jeri Lynn Duke of Clinton, Tenn.; three granddaughters, Christi Bartlett of Cement City, Mich., Shawn Shelley of Charlotte, N.C., and Eleanor Seelye Grogan of Santa Rosa; and five great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held Sunday, June 14, at 4 p.m. at SonRise Christian Fellowship Church, 463 S. Stage Coach Lane, Fallbrook. Contributions can be made in her honor to the Angel Society, P.O. Box 1408, Fallbrook, CA, 92088.