- Date Of Birth: October 19, 1940
- Date Of Death: September 3, 2021
- State: Florida
On the morning of September 3, 2021, Henry Hill “Buddy” Searcy passed peacefully from this life into the presence of his Lord surrounded by his family and friends. Buddy was born on October 19, 1940, and was a lifelong resident of Tallahassee.
He was a graduate of Leon High School (1958) where he was active in student government and Key Club and also played football (captain) and baseball for which he was later inducted into the Leon High School football and baseball Hall of Fame. Following high school Buddy was awarded a football scholarship to Murray State University where in addition to playing football, he was active in student government and the ATO fraternity. On August 12th 1961, Buddy married his high school sweetheart, Patricia Ann Fain, who has been his faithful and devoted wife for the past 60 years. Upon graduating from Murray State, they returned to Tallahassee where he taught PE at Kate Sullivan, and later as the Athletic Director and Head Football Coach at Godby High School.
He taught and coached for 10 years, and then began a career in the home building and Real Estate profession from which he retired after 35 years to spend all of his time with family and in mission work. He was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather and loved his family with all of his heart. He had been a long-serving and active Elder and member of the Presbyterian Church, most recently Christ Presbyterian. After an initial mission to Haiti in 1983, Buddy heeded his Lord’s call to mission work and in 1996 formed “In The Carpenters Footsteps, Inc.”, a non-denominational organization devoted to providing assistance to the neediest of the world through church planting and construction.
He brought to life a call from God, which was to start a ministry to share the word of God and to “Build Foundations of Hope” for people across the world. For over 35 years, Buddy and his wife Patty have led missionaries into the nations and have left a legacy that will live on for generations through the lives of those “Carpenters” who will continue sharing the word of the Lord, planting churches, and building foundations of hope. Pastor Pablo from Costa Rica said, “Much of what I am today as a pastor and missionary, I owe to him, to his wife and to all of the Carpenter’s Ministry.” As one of his own grandsons said, “he served his family, his community, and the nations well.
We were fortunate to have a God-fearing grandfather/father.” Buddy is survived by his wife, Patty (Fain) Searcy; two sons, Dwayne Searcy and Fain Searcy (wife Trina); one brother, Dan Searcy; one sister-in-law, Cheryl Searcy; seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, Taylor Searcy (daughter Kaili), Tanner Searcy (Wife Jess, and son Levi), Shelby Searcy (Sam), Hunter Searcy (wife Kaylyn), Hanna Searcy, Heath Stalans, and Meghan Agner (husband Bo and sons Samuel, Will, and Josiah); as well as a host of nieces and nephews, and a multitude of children in the faith both locally and abroad who called him their beloved “Papa Bear” or “Coach Searcy”.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Henry E. Searcy Jr. and Louise (Mays) Searcy; one daughter, Cynthia Lou Searcy; one brother; Wayne Searcy; and one sister-in-law Diana Searcy.
