Patti Seal, the beloved clerk of Patchogue Village once upon a time, passed away this past weekend. She was 68 years old.
“We are very saddened to inform you that our beloved, former Village Clerk, Patricia Seal, passed away on March 15,” Patchogue Village announced in a Facebook statement on Monday, March 17.
“Patti loved her ‘village family’ and worked tirelessly for the residents of Patchogue Village... There are no arrangements at this time.”
First elected as a village trustee in 2004, Seal became clerk the following year. She held this post until retirement in 2020-–an impressive fifteen years spent representing Patchogue in a most important capacity.
Most notably, New York State named Seal its “Clerk of the Year” in 2018.
Seal was first elected as a village trustee in 2004 before stepping into the role of clerk in 2005, a position she held until her retirement in 2020. She was awarded for her dedication to Patchogue when she was named New York State’s Clerk of the Year in 2018.
“Such a sad week for Patchogue Village. Patti was a beautiful person,” Jim Berberich Sr. wrote on Facebook. “As the Village Clerk she made it a point to help each and every person she came in contact with…and always with a big smile.”
Seal’s passing comes just days after the community also bid a bitter-timed farewell to longtime Village Board Trustee Joe Keyes, 73, who passed on March 10 shortly before he was due to serve as the Patchogue St. Patrick’s Day Parade grand marshall.
“Rest in Peace Patti,” Berberich added. “You will be sorely missed.”