Dave Seastrom, best known as the former owner of Port City Neon Sign Co. (Muskegon, MI) and a former (1995-97) president and board member (1989-1999) of the Midwest Sign Assn. (MSA), died unexpectedly July 28. He and his brother, Larry, were members of MSA for more than a quarter century.
Daver served two terms (1998-2003) as MSA’s representative on the Intl. Sign Assn. (ISA) board, and in the latter years chaired ISA’s Government Relations Committee. When the state sign association, Associated Sign Industries of Ohio (ASIO) expanded to become the regional MSA in 1986, Dave became the first non-Ohio member. Dave also was a member of World Sign Assoc. (WSA) for a decade (1994-2004)
Dave started his career under his father, Leonard Seastrom, at age 15. When Leonard died in 1981, Dave and Larry assumed co-ownership and operation of the sign company. In 1983, Dave and Larry expanded the business and bought their own building. The company built custom neon signs, freestanding and monument signs, backlit letters, embossed and routed signs, and anything custom made.
Dave and Larry sold Port City Neon Sign Co. in 2004 to Planet Neon (Novi, MI), where Dave worked until 2008. Dave decided to start a new company, Port City Signs in 2008, where he had been operating his business alongside Jim Wilde at Wilde Signs in Muskegon ever since.
He is survived by his son, David Seastrom Jr.; his daughter, Katie Ruger, and son-in-law, Troy Ruger; and two granddaughters, Emma Seastrom and Faith Ruger.