Stephen Seabaugh

Stephen Thomas "Doc" Seabaugh, 72, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, June 22, 2020, at Saint Francis Medical Center.

Born July 8, 1947, in Cape Girardeau to Loy Rush "L.R." and Elizabeth Francis "Betty" Seabaugh, he was preceded in death by his parents and his wife, Deanna Faye Seabaugh, who passed away in 1999.

Steve graduated Cape Girardeau Central High School in 1965 and went on to earn degrees in animal husbandry and veterinary medicine from Southeast Missouri State University and the University of Missouri, graduating in 1972. He married Deanna in 1973 before moving to Illinois to begin a career in the thoroughbred and standardbred racing communities.

At an early age, he helped train his father's horses at Arena Park, drove pacers and trotters on the county fair circuit as a young man, started a private equine veterinary practice upon graduation, developed his own Italic Stables and Seawin Farm in rural Illinois where he raised his family and served for many years as the Illinois Racing Board State veterinarian until his partial retirement in 2005. He then worked as an associate veterinarian at Hawthorne Racecourse and Arlington International Racecourse until his full retirement in 2018.

Doc Seabaugh was known as much for being a lifelong horseman as he was for being an ardent student of his many interests, which included Major League Baseball, opera, mysticism, motorcycles and Native American culture, among many other things. Inspired by the work of Bob Dylan and Charles Bukowski, he self-published two books of poetry under the pen name fishbelly.

He recently returned to Cape Girardeau, where he spent his retirement enjoying fishing, watching St. Louis Cardinals baseball, riding his beloved horse Gordy and having coffee with friends. He was a man of unique experiences and strong opinions, and he will always be remembered as a compelling and engaging raconteur.

He is survived by his children, Clare Seabaugh of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Jennifer Baker of Charleston, Illinois, Stephen Seabaugh Jr. of Cape Girardeau and Nathan (Nichole) Seabaugh of Poplar Grove, Illinois; grandchildren, Damien, Mason, Alexis, Evan, Jasmine, Charlotte and Scarlett; sisters, Susan (Ben) Heuiser, Sarah (Paul) Schermann and Sally (Craig) Veach; brother, Scot (Rene) Seabaugh; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Visitation will be from 2 to 4 p.m. July 11 at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to Wounded Warrior Project.

Online condolences may be made at www.fordandsonsfuneralhome.com.