Alexander "Alec" Lewis Searl's Obituary
Alexander "Alec" Lewis Searl, 73, known as Alec to his family and friends, passed away peacefully on Saturday, April 9, 2016 surrounded by his family, following a courageous battle against lung cancer for more than six years.
Alec was born on March 19, 1943 in Syracuse, NY, son of the late Elizabeth Lewis Searl and Jerome Howe Searl. He attended Syracuse University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and later an MBA graduate degree and was honored to be a member of the Psi U Fraternity. He spent 21 years in Wilmington, DE with Hercules, Inc. leaving as Vice President and Treasurer in 1992. He then moved to Salt Lake City, UT to join the American Stores Company as Executive Vice President and Treasurer before moving on to become Chief Financial Officer of TheraTech, Inc. and Pharmadigm, Inc. He retired in Salt Lake City in 2005, giving him more time to pursue his passion of skiing Utah’s “greatest snow on Earth” with family and friends. His retirement also allowed him to devote his time to various non-profit, governmental, and corporate Boards of Directors to which he had been appointed in Utah, Texas, and Delaware.
He was proud to say he served in the U.S. Army Reserves during the Vietnam War as well as on the National Ski Patrol during college. In his earlier years, he earned his private pilot’s license and loved flying the skies of Delaware. He also enjoyed traveling with friends and meeting the local people in every country he visited. He cherished his friends in Utah and Delaware, but above all, his greatest love and pride was for his family. Four years ago he and his wife returned to Delaware, settling in Rehoboth Beach, to be closer to their children and grandchildren.
Alec is survived by his wife of 30 years, Shae Maloney Searl; five children: Christine Searl Haegele and husband, John, Jennifer Collins Brand and husband, Rob, Timothy R. Searl and wife, Anne, Andrew T. Searl and wife, Kelly, and Alexandra “Tori” Searl Cassel and husband, Tom; three grandchildren: Justin Searl, Jack Haegele and Jamie Brand; a granddaughter, Emily Taylor Holt; a brother, Peter H. Searl and wife, Mary Ellen Birkett; two nephews: Christopher and Clay Searl; and a niece Betsy Searl Crawford and husband, Neil.
The family would like to thank Dr. Wallace Akerley, Julie Luckart, and Terry VanDuren at the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City for their tremendous medical care, support, and friendship of more than six years. The family would also like to thank Tunnel Cancer Center, Beebe Medical Center, Delaware Hospice Milford Branch, and Griswold Home Care for their attentive and compassionate doctors, nurses, caregivers, and staff.
Memorial Services will be held on Saturday, April 23, 2016, at 11:00AM, at All Saints Episcopal Church, 18 Olive Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971. Interment will be private.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to be made in Alec's memory to the Huntsman Cancer Foundation, 500 Huntsman Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, or online at https://donate.huntsmancancer.org/asearl.
Please sign the guestbook located on this site.
FLORIST NOTE: PLEASE HAVE ALL FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS DELIVERED BY 3:00 PM ON FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016 TO PARSELL FUNERAL HOMES, LEWES, DE.
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