George Seth Leyman
July 2, 1947 ~ December 15, 2020
Once every 1,000 years or so, a man larger than life comes along. A man so brave, so
determined, so driven by his purpose to make a difference in the world. A man who will forever
loom like a giant in the circles in which he ran: his family and the public safety radio
communications world.
George Seth Leyman was one of those men. His life is a tale so tall it might almost be mistaken for a fable (I guess every child sees their father as the protagonist in a superhero story.) Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY (July 2, 1947), he embodied that old-world NY spirit right from the start. That perfectly NY combination of a Brooklyn kid who caught fly balls outside of Ebbets field, raced the ‘32 Ford with a Caddy engine he built himself, preferred Diners (especially Juniors), and loved the NY library and the botanic garden. The kind of upbringing that molds a man to become great.
The picture is so clear: A young boy with his hair perfectly slicked into place, pressed slacks
and a button-down shirt, probably humming a doo-wop song as he waited in line to be the first
to purchase a limited edition set of stamps. A boy playing stoop ball on the front steps with his
older sister, Sue. A boy feeding on ketchup and Wonder bread sandwiches for lunch every day. His mother, Rita, worked as a social worker. His father Samuel, who arrived at Ellis Island in 1914 from Russia, was off somewhere in Argentina working as a gaucho and eventually became a master tailor in New York. One of those boys who was too brilliant; the kind whose mind worked in ways that made regular ol’ school difficult for him.
In 1967, Seth was drafted into the Army after leaving Syracuse University where he studied
industrial engineering and wanted to design cars. Little did he know that these two worlds would lead him to build a company that designed radios for future troops. Eventually submitting as a conscientious objector, his tour took him to Taiwan, where he also fell in love with the beautiful suit fabrics only found there. Oh, the silk threads!
Upon returning home, life really began when he met his wife of 50 ½ years, Rona Leslie
Leyman (née Brostoff). She should have known she was in for the adventure of a lifetime when his requirement for getting married was for her to skydive out of a plane by herself. I guess he met his match when she jumped and then landed spraining both of her ankles and bloodying her nose from her helmet in the process (Later, his sage advice to his skydiving children would be “Only two things fall out of the sky, bird shit and idiots.”) So, just three months after their first date, they were married on June 4, 1970, in Rona’s parents’ living room on a Thursday night with beer and pretzels.
Those early years were filled with adventure after adventure. (Note: Seth used to call getting
lost on a road trip with no directions an “adventure”.) Living in their fourth-floor apartment of a
brownstone in Brooklyn Heights (before Brooklyn was “hip”) there were so many laughs. The
giant black lab, Chaos , eating the couture size four shoes he found for Rona. Living off
hotdogs and wondering how they would make the $200/month rent. He spoiled Rona like there was no tomorrow. Seth was a man of grand gestures.
Fast-forward about 10 years, Seth had tossed away his career selling women’s hosiery for a jobwith a Swedish company selling hearing protection and was silently plotting to prove he was more than his current state. Enter two monumental moments: the birth of his first daughter, Josephine Sara, and the birth of his company founded in the basement of their home in Oakton, Virginia, “Communications-Applied Technology” (C-AT for short). During this time, Seth accomplished another goal - earning an MBA from Loyola University.
The next six years were a combination of blood, sweat and tears: The blood and sweat of
90-hour work weeks as he designed, manufactured and sold his own radios for
first-responders. And, the tears of a joyful six-year-old begging for a sibling. Oops, enter two
siblings. Twins Eli Charles and Alexis “Lexie” Lynne.
Life over the next 30ish years was both tough and rewarding. He watched his children grow
up, become the successes he had only hoped for, and build families of their own. He returned
to his early days of playing with little British cars and cursing Lucas Prince of Darkness. That
damn ‘78 MGB with a chrome bumper conversion in British racing green was the source of
many stories. How many times can one car die on the side of the road in one summer?!
You’ll never find someone with his work ethic. He worked 80+ hours a week for 40 years, loving what he did, knowing that his product helped people. He built C-AT from the ground up with a dream and loads of hard work. As a veteran-owned, family business, C-AT saved probably hundreds of lives with its American-made radios and designing the first equipment to connect disparate radio systems that became so critical to public safety in the years since Air Florida 90 and 9/11.
As one of his customers wrote when hearing of his passing, “Seth was a titan in the
interoperability field”. There is nothing he wouldn’t have done to support first-responders. He
truly lived the phrase “if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life”. C-AT was full of ups and downs. But, when that order came through or he received a gratitude email from the fire chief, you’d never seen a bigger smile. He was happiest being the man who brought Anita’s breakfast burritos and Dunkin Donuts coffee to the Fairfax County vehicle rodeo every summer or working with local fire stations and FEMA USAR teams, eventually joining both the company and those same USAR teams at COMLs.
We often used to joke that Seth wouldn’t know what to do with himself if he retired. By the time
Seth and Rona were truly empty-nesters, Rona was retired, and they were ready to go on the
international travels they day-dreamed about, his health was failing him. In 2018, he began a
long battle against a series of illnesses that would rob Seth of his ability to go on those
adventures. He was the bionic man if there ever was one: nothing could knock him down.
Against all odds he fought hard every day. He never gave up hope that he would stand again.
He would stand again to walk with his kids. To play with his grandchildren. To stand up by his
wife like she stood by his side through all of it.
On December 15, 2020, George Seth Leyman decided it was time to go sit by his lake and run
through the hills with his dozens of black labs. But he did not leave before getting to laugh with
his wife about whatever “whosie-whatsit” his grandkids were getting into, before seeing his
daughters become strong business-women, and before silently bursting with pride as his son
took the helm at C-AT.
He was a man who gave everyone a chance. A rare breed of genuinely charitable men. The
kind of man who donated 10% of his earnings even when he barely made any money. The kind of man who saw a homeless vet sitting alone in Dunkin Donuts and offered him a new suit, food and a job.
He is so sorely missed. There is a hole missing in our world. But he can rest easy knowing he
made an immeasurable impact on the world through his business and his hugely charitable
heart. We will always remember him with the top-down, shifting into fourth-gear, with a
quick-witted, sarcastic comment and big belly laugh.
No Seth Leyman story is complete without some wise words from the “Daddy Book”. As you go forward always remember, “No pain, no gain. No blood, no sympathy.” We will miss this man with a heart of gold. Rest easy and proud Daddy.
Love,
Mom, Jo, Eli and Lex.
determined, so driven by his purpose to make a difference in the world. A man who will forever
loom like a giant in the circles in which he ran: his family and the public safety radio
communications world.
George Seth Leyman was one of those men. His life is a tale so tall it might almost be mistaken for a fable (I guess every child sees their father as the protagonist in a superhero story.) Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY (July 2, 1947), he embodied that old-world NY spirit right from the start. That perfectly NY combination of a Brooklyn kid who caught fly balls outside of Ebbets field, raced the ‘32 Ford with a Caddy engine he built himself, preferred Diners (especially Juniors), and loved the NY library and the botanic garden. The kind of upbringing that molds a man to become great.
The picture is so clear: A young boy with his hair perfectly slicked into place, pressed slacks
and a button-down shirt, probably humming a doo-wop song as he waited in line to be the first
to purchase a limited edition set of stamps. A boy playing stoop ball on the front steps with his
older sister, Sue. A boy feeding on ketchup and Wonder bread sandwiches for lunch every day. His mother, Rita, worked as a social worker. His father Samuel, who arrived at Ellis Island in 1914 from Russia, was off somewhere in Argentina working as a gaucho and eventually became a master tailor in New York. One of those boys who was too brilliant; the kind whose mind worked in ways that made regular ol’ school difficult for him.
In 1967, Seth was drafted into the Army after leaving Syracuse University where he studied
industrial engineering and wanted to design cars. Little did he know that these two worlds would lead him to build a company that designed radios for future troops. Eventually submitting as a conscientious objector, his tour took him to Taiwan, where he also fell in love with the beautiful suit fabrics only found there. Oh, the silk threads!
Upon returning home, life really began when he met his wife of 50 ½ years, Rona Leslie
Leyman (née Brostoff). She should have known she was in for the adventure of a lifetime when his requirement for getting married was for her to skydive out of a plane by herself. I guess he met his match when she jumped and then landed spraining both of her ankles and bloodying her nose from her helmet in the process (Later, his sage advice to his skydiving children would be “Only two things fall out of the sky, bird shit and idiots.”) So, just three months after their first date, they were married on June 4, 1970, in Rona’s parents’ living room on a Thursday night with beer and pretzels.
Those early years were filled with adventure after adventure. (Note: Seth used to call getting
lost on a road trip with no directions an “adventure”.) Living in their fourth-floor apartment of a
brownstone in Brooklyn Heights (before Brooklyn was “hip”) there were so many laughs. The
giant black lab, Chaos , eating the couture size four shoes he found for Rona. Living off
hotdogs and wondering how they would make the $200/month rent. He spoiled Rona like there was no tomorrow. Seth was a man of grand gestures.
Fast-forward about 10 years, Seth had tossed away his career selling women’s hosiery for a jobwith a Swedish company selling hearing protection and was silently plotting to prove he was more than his current state. Enter two monumental moments: the birth of his first daughter, Josephine Sara, and the birth of his company founded in the basement of their home in Oakton, Virginia, “Communications-Applied Technology” (C-AT for short). During this time, Seth accomplished another goal - earning an MBA from Loyola University.
The next six years were a combination of blood, sweat and tears: The blood and sweat of
90-hour work weeks as he designed, manufactured and sold his own radios for
first-responders. And, the tears of a joyful six-year-old begging for a sibling. Oops, enter two
siblings. Twins Eli Charles and Alexis “Lexie” Lynne.
Life over the next 30ish years was both tough and rewarding. He watched his children grow
up, become the successes he had only hoped for, and build families of their own. He returned
to his early days of playing with little British cars and cursing Lucas Prince of Darkness. That
damn ‘78 MGB with a chrome bumper conversion in British racing green was the source of
many stories. How many times can one car die on the side of the road in one summer?!
You’ll never find someone with his work ethic. He worked 80+ hours a week for 40 years, loving what he did, knowing that his product helped people. He built C-AT from the ground up with a dream and loads of hard work. As a veteran-owned, family business, C-AT saved probably hundreds of lives with its American-made radios and designing the first equipment to connect disparate radio systems that became so critical to public safety in the years since Air Florida 90 and 9/11.
As one of his customers wrote when hearing of his passing, “Seth was a titan in the
interoperability field”. There is nothing he wouldn’t have done to support first-responders. He
truly lived the phrase “if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life”. C-AT was full of ups and downs. But, when that order came through or he received a gratitude email from the fire chief, you’d never seen a bigger smile. He was happiest being the man who brought Anita’s breakfast burritos and Dunkin Donuts coffee to the Fairfax County vehicle rodeo every summer or working with local fire stations and FEMA USAR teams, eventually joining both the company and those same USAR teams at COMLs.
We often used to joke that Seth wouldn’t know what to do with himself if he retired. By the time
Seth and Rona were truly empty-nesters, Rona was retired, and they were ready to go on the
international travels they day-dreamed about, his health was failing him. In 2018, he began a
long battle against a series of illnesses that would rob Seth of his ability to go on those
adventures. He was the bionic man if there ever was one: nothing could knock him down.
Against all odds he fought hard every day. He never gave up hope that he would stand again.
He would stand again to walk with his kids. To play with his grandchildren. To stand up by his
wife like she stood by his side through all of it.
On December 15, 2020, George Seth Leyman decided it was time to go sit by his lake and run
through the hills with his dozens of black labs. But he did not leave before getting to laugh with
his wife about whatever “whosie-whatsit” his grandkids were getting into, before seeing his
daughters become strong business-women, and before silently bursting with pride as his son
took the helm at C-AT.
He was a man who gave everyone a chance. A rare breed of genuinely charitable men. The
kind of man who donated 10% of his earnings even when he barely made any money. The kind of man who saw a homeless vet sitting alone in Dunkin Donuts and offered him a new suit, food and a job.
He is so sorely missed. There is a hole missing in our world. But he can rest easy knowing he
made an immeasurable impact on the world through his business and his hugely charitable
heart. We will always remember him with the top-down, shifting into fourth-gear, with a
quick-witted, sarcastic comment and big belly laugh.
No Seth Leyman story is complete without some wise words from the “Daddy Book”. As you go forward always remember, “No pain, no gain. No blood, no sympathy.” We will miss this man with a heart of gold. Rest easy and proud Daddy.
Love,
Mom, Jo, Eli and Lex.
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For some reason today I thought of Seth and actually reached out to see how he was doing and if he had finally decided to retire after all these years. Unfortunately, I received the call that Seth had passed away. I had worked with Seth when I worked at GEOMET Technologies, Inc. He made all of our meetings very interesting to say the least he always stood his ground with the customer. I remember we liked to push each others buttons and we both told it like it was. I am so sorry to hear about Seth and I am truly blessed to have known him and worked with him. Dana Gue
Q: How did you meet George?
A: I got in touch with George while I was a National Disaster Coordinator on the small Caribbeal Island f Montserrat, while serarching the internet for an interoperability solution. After emails we spoke on the phone.
He was methodical in his explanations, and trusting.
He shipped a unit to me while in Florida before any evidence of pay was presented to him, and said “we are in the business of looking after people, and I am going to trust you on this”.
He did not want my department to go another period without the capabilities, and trusted a man he never met.
And his quick bit about how he got into the business told me that his passion was based on his experience in the military.
George served his country and the world with skill and kindness.
Thank you.
I worked for Seth for about two years. I won’t tell you that he was an easy man to work for, but I will tell you that he pushed people to be the best versions of themselves. I owe so much to him for guiding me, teaching me, pushing me, and riding my bumper haha. I admire his persistence and he has become an inspiration to me. I teach my children about many of the lessons I gleaned during my tenure at C-AT. I’m a better person because of Seth. He was often misunderstood. His goal was excellence in a world that doesn’t appreciate attention to detail.
There was one time when I was flying back from a customer site and I had a heavy transit case filled with test equipment. The lady at the counter informed me that I needed to pay $75 for the heavy box. I asked her if I could buy her breakfast for $10 instead. She told me to put the cash into the ticket pouch and hand it back to her. I obliged, boarded the plane, and headed home. When I submitted my expense report, he questioned the $10 handwritten receipt. I told him the story, he looked at me wryly trying everything he could to hold back from smiling. He said I was a moron and that I should have offered her $5. Haha.
You gotta love Seth. While he was (kind of) joking, He always saw that there is always room for improvement and it’s a lesson that we can all stand to learn. He gave his life to constant improvement. There was a time when I was frustrated working with him. I misunderstood him. It was only after many years of reflection that I finally understood what he was doing for me. He was making me better, whether I wanted to get better or not. Thank you Seth for doing what you did. You made the world a better place!