Philip Anthony Seeger, PhD.

Longtime Los Alamos resident Philip Anthony Seeger, PhD., died peacefully in his home on April 23, 2026, surrendering his life to Parkinson’s disease, but never his dignity, surrounded by family and listening to the music he loved. He was 89 years old.

Phil was born February 19, 1937, in Evanston, Illinois, to Gerald Paul Seeger and Jeannette Bresnan Seeger. The family moved many times as Phil was growing up, as his father was relocated multiple times, ending up in El Paso, Texas. Phil excelled in mathematics and science, building his own telescope with a mirror he polished himself when he was in 6th grade. He also discovered magic as a hobby that lasted up until Parkinson’s took it from him.

At El Paso High School, Phil was a member of the National Honor Society, the Slide Rule Club, and other organizations. After graduating in 1954, he attended the Rice Institute (now Rice University) in Houston, Texas, where he majored in physics and worked his way through college, as a handbill advertising his act put it, “by magic.” At Rice, he was nominated into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. He graduated in 1958.

While at Rice, Phil’s roommate/magic partner set him up on a blind date with Barbara Teague; they were married August 22, 1959, in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. The couple then moved to Pasadena, California, where Phil attended graduate school at the California Institute of Technology, earning a doctorate in nuclear physics in 1963. In 1964, the family moved to Los Alamos, New Mexico, where Phil began a lifelong career at what was then Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory.

At the Lab, Phil worked in materials science, analyzing the molecular structure of various substances, initially using particle bursts from nuclear blasts at the Nevada Test Site, and then using neutron beams at the newly constructed Meson Physics Facility (LAMPF), in the Neutron Scattering Center (LANSCE). To support his work in materials science, he earned yet another degree, this one a master’s in physiology from UNM. He continued to work at LANSCE until he retired, then returned as a consultant for many years afterward.

Phil was the anchor of a community of particle physicists, and he was a beloved online math tutor. He took more pride in the latter. He was a builder of things: neutron detectors that were modeled on a layer of the human visual cortex, backyard observatory domes, model trains, things of that nature. If he weren’t so good at physics, he would have made a great engineer.

Magic continued to be a part of Phil’s life, as he frequently gave shows for Scout groups, church groups, parties, and the occasional Opera Ball. He regularly attended conventions of the International Brotherhood of Magicians and earned the Order of Merlin. Phil’s knack for showmanship also found an outlet in amateur drama at the old Don Juan Playhouse. Some of the shows he starred in included “Irma La Douce” and “Thurber Carnival,” in which he played Walter Mitty and put his magic to use sawing a “patient” in half.

Phil continued to participate in showmanship with the Los Alamos Light Opera, in which he had supporting roles in My Fair Lady, The Mikado, Annie, and many other productions. He also put his musical talent to use in the Lads of Enchantment barbershop ensemble, the Showtime Singers, the American Recorder Society, and the United Church choir. Church choir or barbershop, he would be at the piano working on his part, working hard to be the best team member he could. When Parkinson’s robbed him of everything except his breath, he kept singing, until the very end. He and Barbara also enjoyed watching others perform; they were longtime season ticket holders with the Santa Fe Opera, Popejoy Presents, and the Los Alamos Concert Association.

Phil’s interest in astronomy continued throughout his life. When he moved to Los Alamos he came with the stars in his eyes. He built an observatory in the backyard, a geodesic dome (the vertices hardwood, the spans dowels), with a pier carefully aligned with polar north. He and Barbara traveled the world chasing solar eclipses (and occasionally just for fun). They visited all seven continents, as well as watching some eclipses from ships at sea, and saw a total of 13 total eclipses as well as a few annular.

Phil also made a hobby out of mathematics, especially later in life. He enjoyed working with fractals, creating colorful images out of mathematical formulas. He co-designed the fractal solar tree located at the Los Alamos County Municipal Building.

It is not a coincidence that Phil and Barbara remained married for 65 years; marriage for them was an active thing, and as Marriage Enrichment Leads, they helped many other couples to create deep and lasting relationships. They made loving fun.

Phil was a showman, a ham, a goof. He loved living. Being an amateur magician is hard work with little to show for it unless you love doing it. Being in the path of totality for every solar eclipse is onerous unless you love doing it. Learning about the structure of the brain is rough unless you love doing it. Phil was hugely curious and loved adventure. He touched seven continents and made friends on six of them.

Phil is survived by daughter Carol Anne Byrnes and husband Patrick Byrnes of Los Ojos; son Gerald Paul Seeger II and wife Samantha Markus of San Jose, California; son Philip Lee Seeger and wife Marianna Křenova of Mlčechvosty, Czech Republic; sister-in-law Marie Rock of Sudbury, Massachusetts; brother-in-law Warfield Teague of Conway, Arkansas; cousin-in-law Edward Green and wife Darlene of Jefferson City, Missouri; grandchildren Gerald Byrnes of Los Alamos and Lumír Seeger, Otto Seeger, and Anika Seeger, of Mlčechvosty, Czech Republic; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his wife Barbara Lee Seeger, parents Gerald Paul Seeger and Jeannette Bresnan Seeger, sister Dorothy Seeger, and brother John Seeger.

A celebration of Phil’s life will be held at the United Church of Los Alamos on Saturday, June 6, 2026, at 11 a.m., followed by refreshments at the church. A private inurnment for family and close friends will be held beforehand.

To honor his life, please consider contributions to organizations special to Phil: The United Church Memorial Fund, the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, the Lads of Enchantment barbershop chorus, or a charity of your choice.