John M. Searles ’38

Jack Searles died April 9, 2013, at his home in Davenport, Iowa. He was 97.

Jack was raised in Englewood, N.J., and prepared for Princeton at Englewood School for Boys. At Princeton he was on the freshman baseball team and lettered in rugby. He belonged to Tiger Inn, served on the Princeton Tiger board, and sold The New York Times. He majored in psychology and roomed with Derick Betts at 14 Blair all four years.

After graduation, Jack joined the Navy and had a distinguished six-year career as commander of a motor torpedo-boat squadron in the Pacific, for which he was awarded the Navy Cross. He was truly one of our World War II heroes. He published his memoirs in Tales of Tulagi, an exciting account of his squadron’s attacks on Japanese subs and destroyers.

Jack is survived by his wife, Barbara; his children, Sally S. Gierke, John M. Jr., and Susan; and seven grandchildren. The class sends condolences to all of Jack’s family and friends.