Donald Thomas Searcy

Our beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather passed away this week at the age of 83. We are heartbroken, but joyful that he has been reunited in heaven with Tim. God blessed us with the opportunity to be at Don’s bedside in his last weeks. We had time to share stories and pray with him and shower him with our love. 

Don came into this world from the mighty midwestern city of Des Moines, IA. He was the second child of Thomas Manuel Searcy and Agnes Estella “Stella” (Brick) Searcy. After spending his teens at the all-male Dowling High School, Don graduated from Iowa State with an degree in Engineering. He was ever the engineer, always MacGyvering solutions to household problems and dictating workaround instructions to anyone present when macular degeneration limited his abilities. He was an avid user of duct tape, 3-in-one oil and compressed air.

In the height of his career Don combined his engineering experience with sales, working as president of a printing company in Omaha, NE. Using that knowledge, he eventually succumbed to the entrepreneurial bug and started his own sales representative company. This allowed Joan to accompany him on business trips which they enjoyed immensely, exploring each city and discovering their favorite restaurants.

Joan Deloris (Flannigan) Searcy was the love of his life despite joking that after fixing up all their friends, they were the only two left to marry. They married on November 30, 1963 and spent nearly 61 years raising children, traveling, dining out with friends and enjoying their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Don is survived by Joan, his daughter Carajane Moore, son Thomas Searcy and wife Jen, and Tim’s widow Michelle Searcy. He delighted in loving and entertaining his grandchildren Ashton (Searcy) Scriven, Zach Searcy, Connor Searcy, Carrington Moore, Cate Searcy and Harper Searcy... and in his final years two beautiful great-grandchildren, Halston and Lawson Scriven.

He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Carol (Searcy) Thompson and son Tim Searcy.

We will honor Don’s life on Monday, November 18th at Flanner Buchanan – Oaklawn Memorial Gardens (Conner Suite) – 9700 Allisonville Rd., Indianapolis, IN 46250. Visitation will begin at 11am followed by a service at 12pm celebrating his legacy of silly puns, junior birdman and personal tributes written and performed at family gatherings.

For those wishing to donate in Don’s memory, we suggest the American Macular Degeneration Foundation. Losing much of his sight was a constant frustration to such an imaginative engineer and he would relish the opportunity to save someone else that pain.