It is with great sorrow that the Searle Freedom Trust acknowledges the death of its founder and leader, Daniel C. Searle. Mr. Searle died on October 30, 2007, at 81 years of age, after falling ill on a shooting expedition in Scotland. Another man, faced with deteriorating health, may have chosen not to make such a trip, but not Dan Searle. He pursued his love of fishing, flying, and shooting right up to the very end, and when he wasn’t traveling the world, he was actively guiding his philanthropic interests. Though we mourn his loss, we admire his tenacity and determination, and we are grateful he died doing what he loved.
Though Mr. Searle is no longer with us, his spirit will live on through the work of the Searle Freedom Trust. Those of us who have been entrusted with his philanthropic legacy intend to carry out his wishes with the same determination, and the same abiding commitment to liberty, that inspired his life’s work. Though we will miss him, we take comfort in knowing he will always be with us, as we will always be guided by his vision.
Mr. Searle confronted his mortality in the same matter-of-fact way that characterized most of his dealings. The result is that his intentions regarding the Searle Freedom Trust's future were laid out well in advance, providing specific instructions about the foundation's ongoing governance and giving policies. He also went so far as to plan his own funeral and write his own obituary, on the theory that it was his death and he might as well be able to have it his way. Below are links to Mr. Searle's self-prepared obituary and a public tribute that has appeared since his death.