Woodside's 'Music Man' dies Woodside's 'Music Man' dies (October 12, 2005)

** George Sellman, longtime school superintendent, directed musicals over 40 years.

A memorial service for George Sellman, who served as superintendent of Woodside Elementary School for 23 years and for whom the school auditorium is named, will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, October 22, at the Woodside Village Church, 3154 Woodside Road.

There will be a gathering in the church social hall following the service.

Mr. Sellman died September 29 at Lytton Gardens in Palo Alto following injuries sustained in a fall at his home in August. He was 81.

Mr. Sellman directed countless community productions and eighth-grade operettas over a span for nearly 40 years.

His wife of 54 years, Joan, recalls when he applied for the position of eighth-grade teacher at Woodside Elementary School in 1957. The fact he could play the piano for the school's traditional eighth-grade operettas help him secure the job.

Born in Colusa, California, Mr. Sellman served with Gen. George Patton's Third Army in Germany and France during World War II, and received the Purple Heart and the Bonze Star.

He graduated from UC Berkeley and did post-graduate work at Chico State and San Jose State universities.

He taught in the small towns of Maxwell and Grimes, California, before coming to Woodside. That first year at Woodside, he organized and directed his 39 students in a musical, building on the tradition of eighth-grade operettas that have become a rite of passage for Woodside students.

Mr. Sellman became the school's principal in 1963 and continued his role as theater director, taking on community productions and operettas.

Even after he retired in 1986, he continued directing for several years, ending his run with the 1995 eighth-grade production of "Bye Bye Birdie."

When he arrived in Woodside, Mr. Sellman wrote skits for the Woodside Follies, a show staged by various community groups. When they were well received, he went on to produce Broadway shows such as "Charlie's Aunt," "Mame" and "Hello Dolly," as the Follies evolved into Woodside community productions.

He said his love of theater had its origins in his youth, when relatives took him to San Francisco. He also took drama classes at San Jose State University.

The George Sellman Auditorium was named in honor of Mr. Sellman when he retired. The auditorium underwent a $1.5 million renovation in 2003.

Mr. Sellman was a member of his Masonic Lodge in Colusa for more than 50 years. He was a former member of the Woodside Lions Club and the SWAT tennis group. He enjoyed playing golf in his retirement.

He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Joan of Woodside; daughters Cindy Jensen of Federal Way, Washington, and Jennifer Anderson of Glen Ellen; son George Sellman III of Alamosa, California; sisters Marjorie Klar of Colusa, Joan Clark of Kaufman, Texas, and Susan Holt of San Jose; and four grandchildren.

Memorial donations may be made to: Woodside Community Foundation/4 WCT, P.O. Box 620494,Woodside, CA 94062; or Woodside School Foundation, c/o Woodside Elementary School, 3195 Woodside Road, Woodside, CA 94062

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