Thomas C. Searle

Thomas C. "Chuck" Searle, Jr., 54, of Groton, died Sunday morning at home with his family by his side. He was the husband of Deborah (Ferrell) Searle with whom he would have celebrated 25 years of marriage in August. He was born in Boston on June 3, 1953, son of the late Thomas C. Searle, Sr. and Mary (Kirkland) Searle, originally of Knoxville and Chattanooga, TN. He was raised in Acton and graduated from Acton Boxborough Regional High School in 1971. Starting in 1972, Chuck lived for two years on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, where he was a mechanical technician on the Altair radar on Roi-Namur island. Chuck was the founder and owner of Aeolus Hang Glider, Inc., which operated for approximately 15 years from the Groton Hills Ski Area starting in 1975. He taught hundreds of students how to hang glide, many of which are still active in the sport today. Along with his father, he patented one of the first folding hinges for quick assembly of hang gliders. Aeolus Hang Glider also manufactured hang gliders for several years. For the last 20 years, he was employed in the semiconductor industry, at QC Optics of Burlington, Brooks/PRI of Chelmsford, and Varian Semiconductor of Gloucester. Chuck enjoyed hang gliding, skiing, snowboarding, skateboarding, scuba diving, and computers. He was a kind, generous, loving man who loved and was loved by his family and many wonderful friends. Besides his wife, he is survived by his daughter Megan of Groton, his sister Kathy of Guatemala, his brother Kirk and sister-in-law Helen Grembowicz of Milford, NH, and his stepmother Helen Searle of Jacksonville, FL. He also leaves his mother-in-law Hope Ferrell of Westford, sisters-in-law Nancy and Susan Ferrell of Westford, Pam Fullford of Newberry, FL, Judy Labonte and her husband Paul, of Hudson, NH, and their daughter Melina, and his brother-in-law Rick Ferrell and his wife Cheryl and children Rick, Cliff, Alyssa, and Jessie, of Wilton, NH. He was also the son-in-law of the late Richard S. Ferrell. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to the Foundation for Hang Gliding & Paragliding, Inc. (http://www.ushgf.org) or HospitalitoAtitlan (http://puebloapueblo.org/). There will be a memorial service Saturday, June 16, at 4 p.m. at the Badger Funeral Home, 45 School St., Groton (http://www.badgerfuneral.com). Arrangements are through the Cremation Society of New Hampshire (800 493 8001, www.csnh.com).