Isaac Paul Seder, known as Paul Seder, 84, of Bethesda, MD, passed away on June 19 at Maple Ridge Memory Care Home in Rockville, MD.
Paul Seder was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on August 18, 1940, to Harold and Ruth Seder. He grew up in Pittsburgh with his sister Joan, and enjoyed spending summer vacations at their family home “Haverock” in New Hampshire with their extended family, including his cousin, Nancy.
Paul graduated from Oberlin College in Ohio and went on to receive his doctorate in social psychology from Duke University.
Paul had a distinguished career that included teaching at Georgetown University, working for the D.C. government and NIDA on drug abuse policy, and several administrative positions at the National Institutes of Health, finally as planning officer for the NIH Director’s Office.
Paul was an enthusiastic researcher in his spare time, particularly in the areas of medicine and finance, and took great pride in achieving access to and questioning world-renowned experts and executives and scrutinizing medical journals to get the best possible information. Paul was also an accomplished photographer who would fearlessly go to great lengths to position himself for the perfect shot. Paul was an avid film and classical music buff, and a lover of modern dance. Paul was also active in his condominium community and had a longtime interest in nutrition education, merging his interests in behavioral psychology and the fruits of his extensive research to help others meet their diet and health goals. He also enjoyed sailing and canoeing and particularly loved to canoe along the C&O Canal.
Paul and his wife, Floris, traveled a lot and have been all over the world. Paul and Floris enjoyed domestic trips to interesting places around the United States, including the Grand Canyon, Rocky Mountains, and San Francisco, and visits to his son in Chicago. They also went on many international trips together, to Morocco, Sicily, Paris, London, Prague, Barcelona, Berlin, the Canadian Rockies and Vancouver.
Paul was a loving and devoted father and often cited fatherhood as his greatest life’s work.
Paul is survived by his wife Floris Flam, his son Ari Seder (Carolyn) and his sister Joan Scharf. Memorial contributions may be made to WAMU, his local public radio station. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.