Longtime Roanoke College men's basketball broadcaster Dr. Richard "Rick" William Seidel, 64, of Roanoke VA, passed away on October 27.

Obituary courtesy of legacy.com

Rick lived a life serving others in their time of need. Words cannot express all of who Rick was, father, husband, son, friend, therapist, mentor, researcher, leader, writer, broadcaster, animal lover and teacher. With a distinguished career as a clinical psychologist and gifted therapist, he helped others improve their mental health throughout his career in California and Virginia.

Rick is survived by his wife of 36 years, Laurie Seidel of Roanoke; and by his beloved son, Nathan Seidel of Williamsburg, VA. He is also survived by his father, Robert Seidel of Fairfax, VA; his sister, Cindy Crum of Divide, CO; his brother-in-law, Scott Walker of Roanoke; his sister-in-law, Carol Walker of Roanoke; and many dear friends and colleagues. He was preceded in death by his mother, Sylvia Seidel; his father-in-law, Eugene "Grampy" Walker; and his mother-in-law, June Berry Walker. A Duke Blue Devil through and through, he treasured his friendships with his Duke friends over the decades and their gatherings to reminisce about their BOG days.

A devoted and loving husband and father, Rick was dedicated to his family. He enjoyed traveling and genuinely loved the Bay Area and northern California. He was happiest doing whatever Nathan was interested in. Countless hours were spent reading books together. While he didn't play golf, Rick became the world's proudest caddie to his son and the best rebounder and shooting partner at the hoop.

Rick grew up in Alexandria, VA, and graduated with academic honors Phi Beta Kappa and Summa cum laude from Duke University with a double major in Psychology and Economics. He went on to attend the University of Virginia, where he earned his M.Ed. and Ph.D. from the Institute of Clinical Psychology with Adult and Family subspecialty. After his internship in Palo Alto, CA, Rick launched a clinical psychology career that would take him from serving veterans at the Palo Alto VA Medical Center at the National Center for PTSD, to serving as a Clinical Psychologist and Director in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at Carilion Clinic for 29 years. He provided training and supervision in both the Family Medicine Residency and Psychiatry Residency Programs and taught medical students as an Associate Professor of Psychiatry for Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. He led and participated in 13 research projects and grants and was published in 12 peer reviewed articles. Rick was a master trainer in the Stanford University Chronic Disease Self-Management Program and was instrumental in bringing a program steering committee for this work to Roanoke. His approach to therapy evolved over the years and he applied his skills to benefit individuals and couples and to teach and mentor others. He practiced with the highest ethics and standards for his profession and became a sought-after consultant on cases and for clinical supervision. He was working on new innovations in psychotherapy with a colleague in California and there was so much more he wanted to do.

Rick loved to play basketball and practice martial arts, earning his Black Belt from the Jhoon Rhee Institute. While living in the Bay Area, he turned his passion for all things sports to broadcasting, a hobby that would travel with him coast to coast. He began as a sports broadcaster for the Stanford University Cardinal women's volleyball and men's basketball teams and after moving to Roanoke he became the voice of the Roanoke College Maroons men's basketball team. He provided live broadcasts for many years of ODAC men's basketball tournaments, the Amos Alonso Stagg Bowl, the NCAA DII and DIII Softball Championships, and was a college football "stringer" for ESPN radio. He enjoyed preparing for each game, doing the play-by-play, and offered outstanding interviews with team coaches for his listening audience. And along with many awesome color partners, Nathan joined his dad in the broadcast booth.

Parkinson's Disease, a chronic and progressive neurodegenerative disease, was the cause of Rick's death. May there one day be interventions for preventing and curing this disease. We are deeply grateful to Michael Jeremiah, MD, for his medical expertise, compassionate care, and support of Rick and our family during a long, painful journey. We also thank the Good Samaritan Hospice team for their compassion and layers of support.

Rick will be missed dearly and will be forever in our hearts. His life made a difference in countless people's lives, and his contributions in mental health and chronic disease will continue to benefit others. We will always miss hearing his voice on the radio, doing play-by-play with such joy. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to The Michael J. Fox Foundation to help eradicate this disease. A commemoration of Rick's life will be held privately.