Dolores White Caskey

1920 - 2015

Caskey, Dolores WhiteCivic Activist, Community Leader Long time Bethlehem resident Dolores White Caskey, 94, a writer, civic activist, and community leader, died March 24th at Moravian Village of Bethlehem. Mrs. Caskey was born in Las Vegas, New Mexico in 1920. She attended Highlands University in Las Vegas, and taught school in Pecos, N.M. before moving to Texas to work as a civil servant for the Army Air Corps during World War II. She married then Capt. James W. Caskey in 1947. While raising two sons during several of James' Air Force assignments in South Carolina, Japan, Alabama, England, and Bethlehem, she became actively involved in the civil rights movement, and remained active in politics, at all levels, for the rest of her life. After moving to Bethlehem permanently in 1968, Mrs. Caskey wrote the newspaper column, Action Line, for the former Bethlehem Globe-Times for 18 years. In 1973 she was elected to Bethlehem's City Council, where she served for 12 years, four as Council Chairman. Mrs. Caskey was a tireless advocate and worker for the community, especially its disadvantaged. She was appointed to the Board of Bethlehem's Public Housing Authority where she served more than 10 years, and was the recipient of various leadership, service, and civil rights awards. Her fluent Spanish language skills and commitment to civil rights enabled her to help build bridges among disparate interests for the betterment of all. In addition to her own political campaigns, Mrs. Caskey was an active volunteer for many others, and for the Democratic Party. She served as Secretary for the Pennsylvania delegation to the Democratic National Convention in 1980. Mrs. Caskey lost her husband of 65 years, James, in 2012. The Caskeys were active congregants of Trinity Episcopal Church, and the Diocese of Bethlehem. They served as volunteers in Trinity's soup kitchen for over 20 years. Survivors: Mrs. Caskey is survived by two sons, Robert, of Los Angeles, Calif., David, and spouse Mimi, of University Park, Maryland, stepson Michael, and spouse Kimberly, of Escalon, CA., four grandchildren, Ian, Jerilynn, Christopher, Aurora, and two great grand children, Nicholas and Jackson. Services: A Memorial Service will be announced later. Arrangements care of Downing Funeral Home, Inc. Contributions: Contributions can be made to Northeast Ministry, PO Box 1463 Bethlehem, PA 18016.