Edward Herbert Seiler

Edward Herbert Seiler, 80, of Huntington, WV, passed away, Wednesday September 3, 2025 at the Emogene Dolin Jones Hospice House of Huntington. Ed was born July 5, 1945, in Huntington, WV, a son of the late H. Edward and Geraldine Ruth Price Seiler. He was a graduate of Huntington East High School in 1963. He earned a national title in three-cushion billiards and a trophy for a citywide pool tournament as a child. Ed was a graduate of Marshall University and used his billiard skills to pay for his own tuition by hustling in pool halls. After graduation from Marshall, he received an induction notice but was turned away for poor eyesight. So as an alternative to military service he took a job with the U.S. Veteran’s Administration. He began his professional career in 1968 at the Veterans Administration, during his early years of employment he earned a double master’s degree from the University of Southern California in Health Administration and Public Administration. Once established with the VA, Ed moved frequently from Maryland, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Ohio, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Florida. A few years after assuming the director’s role in Florida, Ed lost all vision in both eyes. It was then that he decided to return to his native Huntington because he felt he could be comfortable here. Ed retired in 2013 after 46 years of service in 11 medical centers and serving 29 of those years as medical center director at VA Hospitals in Providence, R.I., West Palm Beach, Fla. and Huntington. Before his retirement, he was honored in Washington, D.C. with the Presidential Rank Award, given to top civil servants in the federal government. Ed set many goals for the Huntington VA Medical Center and saw them come to fruition before his retirement. Those goals included being in the top 10 percent nationally among VA centers in clinical, financial and administrative performance measures; founding of the Homeless Veterans’ Resource Center in July of 2011; opening the Women’s Health Clinic; sharing best practices with other VA Centers for reducing homelessness and women’s health; securing federal funding for new buildings and projects and being recognized by the Joint Commission of one of the “Top Perfomring Hospitals” in the United States. Ed’s passions went beyond work as he was a Deacon and Elder in Presbyterian Churches in Ft. Thomas Kentucky, Madison, Wisconsin, Buffalo, NY, Fayetteville, NC and East Greenwich, R.I. He also coached youth baseball and soccer for over 10 years. In 2013 he was honored with enshrinement on the Huntington Wall of Fame and sat on many Board of Directors for local causes. Ed is survived by his son Ryan Seiler, brother Bruce Seiler and many nieces and nephews. Services will be private for family and friends at a later date.