Milton Jones Searles

Milton Jones Searles, 78, of East Fallowfield, PA, passed away on Tuesday, January 11, 2022, in Paoli, PA.

Milton was born February 5, 1943 in Ercildoun, Pennsylvania to parents Hubert Searles and Lucy Jones Searles and raised alongside older brother Hubert (Bradley).

Milton was above all else a loving family man and loyal friend. During the European travel adventures of his youth, he met the love of his life, Theodora Horstink, during a chance encounter at a train station in Basel, Switzerland. After an international courtship consisting of many letters and postcards, Milton and Thea married on July 6, 1973 in the Netherlands, her home country. In their 48 years of marriage, they raised two sons, Mikael and Niklas. He will be lovingly remembered for his dedication to education, his passion for bicycling, his love of the great outdoors, and his enjoyment of gardening and orchardry. Milton maintained a loving home that was open to friends and strangers alike.

After graduating from West Chester University, Milton began his career in education at his alma mater Coatesville High School in 1964. Over the next 40 years in the district, he taught Spanish to countless students. After a brief “retirement” in 2004, he continued his education career at the college level, becoming a Spanish professor at Montgomery County Community College and Delaware County Community College for an additional 16 years.

Milton’s passion for education extended beyond the traditional classroom setting. Beginning in 1982, he began teaching Spanish at Chester County Adult Night School in West Chester, enthusiastically bringing his love of language to working adults. Milton also taught English as a Second Language classes in Coatesville, helping local non-native speakers learn English. He used this as an opportunity to help immigrants assimilate to the community in any way he could.

Milton was a member of the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Coatesville, which he regularly attended. He provided leadership as an Assistant Scoutmaster in Troop 117, helping both of his sons and many other scouts work their way to achieving the Eagle Scout rank.

Milton was an avid cyclist and spent much of his time enjoying the many bike trails and backroads in the area. Along with many of his close friends, he frequently participated in the annual City to Shore ride from Philadelphia to Ocean City, New Jersey to benefit multiple sclerosis research. Milton also enjoyed touring local lakes and creeks in his kayak and local byways on his motorcycle.

Milton is survived by his wife Thea, his son Mikael, and son Niklas and his wife Julia. He will be missed deeply and loved by all those who had the privilege to know him. It is the hope of the Searles family that his memory, much like his life, be full of great company and heartfelt laughter.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, January 21st, 2022 at The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, 107 S. 17th Avenue, Coatesville, PA. Relatives and friends may visit with the family beginning at 10:00 AM. For those unable to attend in person, the memorial service will be streamed online at www.facebook.com/luthgoodshep .

We are in the process of starting a scholarship to honor Milton’s 40 years as a teacher in the Coatesville School District. In the next couple of weeks, we will be reaching out to his friends, former students, co-workers, and family to solicit donations to honor his legacy. We hope you will support his work and his name by contributing.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Wilde Funeral Home of Parkesburg, PA. Online condolences can be posted at www.wildefuneralhome.com