Reverend Thomas R. Searfoss

Reverend Thomas R. Searfoss, Jr., 74, of Spring Mills, passed away Sunday, October 16th at Hearthside Nursing Home.  Born September 22, 1942 in Mill Hall, Thomas is a son of the late Thomas R. Searfoss and Mildred “Orner” Searfoss of Wynwood House in Centre Hall.  Thomas was a 1960 graduate of Penns Valley Area High School.  On February 21, 1964, Tom married Georgene Auman, who survives at their home in Spring Mills.  Tom proudly served his country in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Allen M. Sumner. 

After returning from the war Tom attended the University of Baltimore in 1970 where he earned a B.A. in History.  He attended Wesley Seminary in Washington, D.C.  He then attended St. Mary’s Seminary in 1974 where he received an M.A. in Theology.  Continuing his education at St. Mary’s Seminary, he received an M.A in Religious Education in 1975 and finally an M.A. in Pastoral Counseling from Loyola College in Baltimore in 1979.

Since 1965 he served United Methodist Churches in Pennsylvania, Maryland and New York, starting as a student pastor of a five church charge in Ramey, Pa before retiring in 2005.  Early in his ministry, he served Severn UMC in Severn, MD and Old Otterbein UMC and Boundary UMC, both in Baltimore; and lastly Taneytown UMC, Taneytown, MD.  His Pennsylvania charges were the Morrisdale/Kylertown Charge, Mansfield UMC, St. John’s UMC in State College, Selinsgrove/Shamokin Dam Wesley UMC, Clearfield Parrish, Emmanuel/Kerr Addition and Union Deposit UMC.  In 2005 he became certified in Intentional Interim Ministry and was a Professional Intentional Interim in IMN.  He served a number of churches in this capacity in Pennsylvania and Wauwautosa, WI.  As a certified Professional Interim Ministry, he developed and presented workshops on Chronic Anxiety at the IMN Conferences in St. Louis, MO in 2013 and Baltimore, MD in 2014.

While serving Taneytown UMC, Tom worked with the State Police to develop a team for TACADACT and acted as MADART Coordinator for training and prevention.  In 1985-86 he was on Special Appointment to Lewistown Hospital as Director of Drug and Alcohol Treatment and Prevention.

While serving Taneytown, Patricia Hively, an employee of a drug store in town, was abducted by Olan Hill and Jimmy Edward Simpson.  The crime made national headlines when Ms. Hively cooperated with her abductors as a victim of “Stockholm Syndrome” which resulted in Dan Rodricks of the Baltimore Sun newspaper attending the Taneytown UMC on Ascension Sunday morning.  He wrote an article highlighting Tom’s five-page poetic manuscript to the community which was published in the Baltimore Sun.

Tom served as Urban Consultant to the Cabinet for York, and Central Pennsylvania Conference, UMC.  He developed and implemented a multi-cultural, multi lingual, three congregation sharing and fellowship at the former St. John’s UMC in State College in 1993, now Albright-Bethune UMC.  He developed and implemented new parish alignment and merger of four congregations which became Gethsemane UMC in Kylertown. 

While serving St. Marks UMC in Rockville Centre, NY, Flight TWA 800 went down of Long Island on July 17, 1996.  A group of high school students from Montoursville perished on that plane.  Tom received a phone call requesting his assistance as a grief counselor to the Hettrick family at the Raddison Hotel near Kennedy Airport. He attended the memorial service in Montoursville. 

In recent years, Tom enjoyed preaching at the Nittany Antique Machinery Association Show held every September at Penns Cave in rural Spring Mills.

In addition to his wife Georgene, Tom is survived by one son, Randy Brian Searfoss (Jane) of Mechanicsburg; one daughter, Wendy D. Mortimer (Justin) of Waukesha, WI; one granddaughter; Heather Ashley and three grandsons, Kyle Searfoss and Brandon and Calen Mortimer.  Also surviving is one great granddaughter, Elayne Rose; one sister, Shirley Schubert (Jim), and brother-in-laws, Warren Dutrow and Ralph Rockey, along with numerous nieces and nephews and his loyal companions, Buttercup, Toughy, Arnold, Duke, Nancy and Jasper.  In addition to his father, Tom was preceded in death by sisters Mona L. Dutrow and Deanna Rockey

Family and friends will be received on October 29, 2016 from 9-10 am at the Park Forest United Methodist Church in State College.  The memorial service will follow at 10 am with Pastor Don Smith officiating.  Contributions in memory of Tom may be given to PAWS, 1401 Trout Road, State College, PA. 16801.  

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