Large turnout for community leader Frank Seemungal's memorial

Family, friends, neighbours and admirers formed a large crowd for the memorial service and reception for the late Frank Seemungal Saturday. Following a brief memorial remembrance service in the Burke Funeral Home, the crowd adjourned to the upstairs lounge for refreshments and chat. Key speaker at the service was Seemungal’s brother-in-law, retired Belleville lawyer Peter [...]

Article content Family, friends, neighbours and admirers formed a large crowd for the memorial service and reception for the late Frank Seemungal Saturday. Following a brief memorial remembrance service in the Burke Funeral Home, the crowd adjourned to the upstairs lounge for refreshments and chat. Key speaker at the service was Seemungal’s brother-in-law, retired Belleville lawyer Peter McCabe.

Frank Seemungal died March 5, but the memorial was set for a later date to accommodate travel plans and attendance for a widely-scattered family, which included his son Martin, an internationally known foreign affairs reporter for several major TV networks, now retired in The Philippines and several in Trinidad, Frank’s home country. Recommended Videos Born and raised in Port of Spain, Trinidad, he came to Canada in 1952 to study chemistry at athe University of British Columbia. He then moved to Belleville with a job at the former federal Entomology Laboratory, corner of Dufferin and Dundas Streets, referred locally as the “bug house.”

There, he met his beloved wife, Beverley McCabe, with whom he shared many years in a loving partnership. He then went to Bata Shoe Company as a chemical engineer and then as a teacher at Prince Edward Collegiate Institute. An offer from Shell Oil Company led him back to his home base in Trinidad, along with Bev and four children in 1963.

They returned to Belleville in 1967 and his teaching job at PECI. He also became an alderman on Belleville City Council for 10 years, applying his widespread knowledge and skills effectively on many city problems. After retiring from council, he was appointed as a Justice of the Peace.

With his wife Bev’s active involvement in the Belleville Theatre Guild , she persuaded him to help with that as it was facing bankruptcy. So he did, became president of the guild, and arranged a low cost rental of the Pinnacle Playhouse with city council for the guild, which continues.

One long-time member of the guild, Moira Nikander Forrester, attested: “Frank saved the theatre guild.” McCabe stressed that the Seemungal long-time home at 54 Forin St. was a centre of regular activity and love for a large family and many friends, including Bill and Millie Hunt, the Walmsleys, and the Gorceys. One popular event he recalled was an annual New Year’s party when the men, led by Ralph Gorcey, did all the cooking.

Frank also became a charter member of a friendly poker club, the Belleville Men’s Poker Club which met regularly for many years until death took its toll of most of the members. McCabe described the Seemungal home as one that “mad room for everybody,” in spite of four boys- Martin, David, Richard and Gregory, who were the centre of the couple’s lives. From, their father and mother, said McCabe.

“They learned to be informed and to care about the broader world and give back to the community.” Local politics was a common topic with Frank on city council and Bev on the Board of Education. Another example of their caring was when Bev’s mother’s health began to fail, Frank insisted she move in with them despite the busy household.

Also involved eventually were grandchildren. The unexpected death of Bev came as both a surprise and deep shock, not just for the children and grandchildren, but especially for Frank, for whom Bev was an anchor in his life. “We are grateful for the blessings that Aunt Bev and Uncle Frank received and shared with one another and with us,” McCabe concluded.