Author: Owedia Searcy
Alternate names: Tweety Searcy; Tweedie Searcy
Born: 1923
Died: 2017
Bio: Owedia M. “Tweety” Searcy was born on June 6, 1923 in Venus, Texas. After spending her childhood years in Johnson County, she graduated from Arlington Heights High School in Fort Worth, then attended Texas Christian University before graduating from St. Joseph Hospital’s School of Nursing in Fort Worth. She then was certified as a nurse anesthetist at Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing in St. Louis. 

Tweedie was drawn to military service by her father’s service as a Marine in World War I and joined the Navy in 1947. She worked as an anesthetist at the Houston Naval Hospital with Dr. Michael DeBakey, and at Naval Hospitals in Bethesda and Patuxent River, Maryland; Oakland, Mare Island, San Diego and Quantico. She also served in Guantanamo, Cuba and Adak, Alaska. 

She was one of five Navy nurses who established Station Hospital Saigon early in the Vietnam conflict where she was responsible for setting up an emergency room and operating room. Later, she taught from November 1964 through October 1968 in the Navy’s nurse anesthetist program at Portsmouth Naval Hospital. In retirement, Tweedie’s life centered around the Naval Academy, where she was famous for her cookbook and her attendance at Navy sporting events in Annapolis and far beyond.

She was survived by her best friend, Bobbi Hovis, Lt. Commander, USN (Ret.).