Michael Sevareid, 73, of Mount Joy, died on Sunday, August 4 at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Md., after a courageous seven-year battle with Stage IV pulmonary cancer. Born in Paris, France, he was a son of the late
Eric and
Lois (Finger) Sevareid.
Sevareid had a lifetime full of accomplishments and adventures in the entertainment industry. As a screenwriter, Sevareid contributed to episodes of 1980s television series' "The Dukes of Hazzard" and "Fantasy Island," and he produced the 1983 film "Happy Endings." He worked for CBS from 1970 to 1979 as a program executive for notable shows such as "All In The Family," and later as director of miniseries. From 1979 to 1981, he served as the vice president of production for MGM Films, Inc.
A well-educated individual, Sevareid earned a B.A. from Middlebury College in 1966 and an M.A. from Central Missouri State University in 1992. He also studied drama in London and received an A.B.T from the University of Minnesota in 1968.
In 1990, Sevareid became a professor at Elizabethtown College, which he has described as his most gratifying work.
Sevareid is survived by his twin brother,
Peter, husband of
Alice Sevareid, of Swarthmore; half-sister,
Cristina Vershel, of Atlanta, Ga.; daughter
Tara of Marietta and sons
Matthew and
Colin, both of Los Angeles, Calif., children of first wife
Jacqueline Sevareid, of Los Angeles, Calif.; son
Eric and daughter
Alexandra of Mount Joy, children of second wife, the late
Jill Reed of Elizabethtown; three grandchildren; and his companion,
Julie Strickland, of Mount Joy.