The Heart of MastersRankings’ Family
Celebrating a Great Soul
We were hugely blessed with our daughter, Becky, for 31½ years. She was a very special soul some of you had the privilege to meet. I was looking forward to her meeting many more of you at the 2025 WMA Indoor Championships. Since that is not possible, I thought I would use this page to introduce you to her. Hope you enjoy getting to know Becky better.
No dad, I will not take over peddling!
Awwww…dancing with dad
Cohorts probably scheming something
Rebecca Lynn Seto
The REAL Boss
Becky could not talk but unquestionably could communicate. Anyone subjected to her glare knows this too well! A great gift she gave to many family members and friends was enthusiastically greeting them with laughter and squealing which brightened any day. Her contagious smile warmed many hearts. Rebecca’s most powerful communication means was her eyes.
The REAL Boss moniker was earned very early in her life. In my defense, nobody can resist that face and those eyes. Linda, Becky and I were having dinner at a Japanese restaurant when Becky was 4. Linda was mashing up some of her salmon for me to feed to Becky. While she was enjoying the salmon, she was clearly curious, if not definitively unhappy, why she wasn’t getting any of my food. I finally succumbed to her staring at my plate of sashimi by giving her a piece of pickled ginger. The look of fascination turning to a big smile was priceless. About 6 years later, she showed how well she could get through my thick head and compel me to act. I was trying to feed her immediately after getting home from vacation. She was holding her mouth shut, vocalizing, glaring at me, looking at the wall and looking at the door. Stupid me finally figured out she was saying “go get my guinea pigs NOW”. Linda said she was really vocal, happy and ate well right after I left.
Most of her time over the past ten years has been spent supervising me working on the Rankings. It was always great spending time together. Becky attended many virtual meetings with me and listen in on countless phone calls. Becky’s interest in the discussions varied. Sometimes, she would be very vocal. Other times, she would appear to be napping. Occasionally, she would startle me by laughing at something said in the meetings.
People were most important
Becky cared most about the people in her lives. Seeing and being with family, teachers, therapists, aids, friends and the church family would invariably make her smile and often animated.
Once, Rebecca thought we were going to a surprise birthday party for one of her teachers. She was always excited whenever a birthday was celebrated and this occasion was no different. It was priceless watching her go from being excited to see her beloved teacher and celebrate her birthday to the realization everyone was there to celebrate her 16th birthday.
She wasn’t a saint – the shenanigans
Becky was a prankster who loved to mess with people. One of Becky’s teachers, reflected how Becky would look at the teacher’s desk with a glint in her eyes shortly before Becky would clear it with one swipe of her arm. One of her beloved aids, would probably tell you how Becky and a friend / classmate would work together making the aid pick up something Becky knocked off her tray. The classmate set it up for Becky a few times before the aid caught on.
Becky was getting evaluated for an electric wheelchair controlled by the headrest. The chair was way too big plus did not appropriately support her. The person evaluating her saw Becky going in circles. I felt she was doing so because she was trying to look at the headrest controls – she was curious. I went over to a painting on a wall away from her and said “do not run into dad” – she stopped going in circles and, with a big smile on her face, made a beeline for me.
Beck and her sister, Charlee, could not be trusted. Rebecca would frequently scheme. Her cohort in crime, Charlee, would facilitate executing those schemes. Beck would also take her sister out for ice cream where they would scheme together.
Loved to be active
Becky loved life and doing things. The smile on her face while riding amusement park rides, dancing, kayaking, swimming, bike riding, drumming, mini-golfing, skating, flag football and baking or the look of contentment enjoying a lazy river or relaxing in the ocean spoke for themselves.
Rollercoasters!!!
Much to Linda’s chagrin, I had a silly idea to take Becky on an amusement park ride when she was 3 or 4. Becky was thrilled to be flying through the air (on a swing). This was the start of her lifelong love of rides. Rollercoasters were especially fun for her.
Every centrifugal amusement park ride was special to her. I would scream “don’t squish the dad”. Her response would inevitably be hysterical laughter as the ride gained speed. Charlee would be on the other side holding on as long as she could so she wouldn’t squish either of us. Inevitably, she couldn’t hold on any longer and slammed into us which pleased Becky even more.
NY Football Giants
She didn’t seem to enjoy movies. She did, however, get really excited at the beginning of the Blind Side when Lawrence Taylor sacked Joe Theisman. Of course, she recognized her beloved Giants. She was unquestionably a fan as demonstrated at the tender age of one by her unbreakable focus on the tv when they were on or whipping her head around when she heard football sounds and the disappointed look on her face when she realized it wasn’t the Giants.
Her relationship with the Giants went to a whole new level in 1998. Wellington Mara responded within a few days of me asking whether and how Becky could attend games. They treated Becky like she was one of the most important people on the planet! Mr. Mara’s personal assistant, JoAnn Lomnik, told me “we are proud to have Becky as our number one fan.” Becky’s first in-stadium experience was non-stop wonder for her. That wonder and thrill of attending games never waned. Each was a great experience. She was giddy when a staff member filled her water bottle with Michael Strahan’s Gatorade.
My sincere comfort to the Seto family who always paid attention to me, I dreamed of meeting her one day but that dream was postponed to heaven, now a big hug for my dear friend and family, he is giant and his heart is bigger than he is, she is in heaven playing football, I love you. this family so much God bless and comfort you all from the heart
Wonderful tribute to a special person.
Thank you so much for this uplifting and joyful introduction to Becky. I can see that she managed to brighten the lives of all around her.
John
With sadness but also absolute wonder I read your tribute to your amazing daughter, Rebecca. Thank you for sharing your family life and some treasured moments. I’m sure Becky’s beautiful spirit is continuing her great shenanigans in heaven. John, you and your wife did a great job, as parents. God bless!
Hi……So sorry for your loss of a very special family member….
I am sure your great love and care for Becky brightened her life, as much as she brought joy to your life.
Thank you for sharing….
May her memory be for a blessing
Manny
John and Linda, thank you for your beautiful tribute to your exceptional daughter. I’ll always remember seeing Becky’s huge smiles when you brought her to track meets. Sharing your precious stories provide grateful lessons to all of us.
Yeah John and Linda, tears filled up in my eyes. What a beautiful woman she was. Moving forward in my life, I will always relate the Masters Rankings with Becky. How can I not? What you both do, changes the world for the better. We all appreciate you.
So sorry for your loss. What a fabulous tribute to a truly wonderful young woman. I’m sat here in tears and don’t know what to say.
My heart goes out to you and your family.
xx