James Frederick Searcy

Jim Searcy passed away peacefully at home on Sunday, November 11, surrounded by his family.

He is survived by his wife Barbara Searcy, two brothers Bill Searcy (Cathy) and Tom Searcy (Diane Winn), his children Sandy Searcy (Dean Voyles), Cindy Searcy (Tim McGonigle), Rick Searcy (Chrissy), Craig Searcy, Stacey Marko-Franks (Lenny), Shelley Marko-Scrivner (David), and Sue Marko (Michael Rodgers). He is also survived by nine grandchildren: Sabrina, Sydney, Daniel, Thomas, Robert, Abigail, Madeline, Tobin, and Owen.

Jim was born on May 28, 1938, in Cincinnati Ohio to James and Virginia (Roush) Searcy, the oldest of three brothers, graduating from high school in Elkhart, Indiana. Jim attended Indiana University from 1956 to 1960 and Law School at the University of Notre Dame from 1960 to 1963.

Jim married Kayleen Jensen on December 27th, 1959. They had four children, Sandy (1964), Cindy (1965), Rick (1968), and Craig (1969).

Jim married Barbara Marko on June 8, 2003 in Las Vegas, Nevada, blending two loving families. Symbolic of this union were the roles that every child and grandchild played in the ceremony.

Jim leaves behind a legacy of leadership, service, and a love of life that touched all who knew him. He spent his career guiding others in estate planning and investing, using his expertise to ensure that families and their heirs had strong financial foundations. He led this work for more than 20 years at the St. Joe Valley Bank in Elkhart, Indiana, and at the Bremer Bank in Minot, North Dakota from 1986 until his retirement in 2001. He continued his financial stewardship for clients through his 80th year of life.

Jim brought this stewardship into the communities in which he lived, serving in leadership roles in local chambers of commerce, community foundations, and university foundations. While in North Dakota he also served as a lobbyist for the US Air Force, advocating for the needs of the U.S. military and its veterans.

After retiring, Jim was heavily involved in the governance of most of the homeowners' associations in the communities in which he lived, most recently as a Board member for the Sun Lakes Homeowners Association, until his passing. His concern for the betterment and sustainability of these communities lives on in the quality of life that his many friends and family receive from his passion and service.

Jim lived his life with gusto, loving music, political debate, and any activity that engaged his mind and social nature. He was a life-long musician, the first chair in the trumpet in high school, a member of the Indiana University Marching Hundred, and most recently was learning to play the clavinova. He had perfect pitch and loved singing, dancing, and performing in shows for others.

Jim also was an avid golfer, card player, and sudoku master. During retirement he was an active member in many Sun Lakes clubs and activities, including the Mystery Theater, the Chorale, the Barbershop Chorus, as well as the Duplicate Bridge, Bocce, Big Band Dance, Dinner Dance, Friendship, and Young at Heart Clubs. These diverse clubs give testament to the vibrancy of his life, led to the fullest, always side-by-side with his great love, Barbara.

A celebration of life will be announced at a later time to be held in the Club House in Sun Lakes Country Club.