Thomas Alcade Casey

Thomas Alcade Casey, a legislative and civic leader whose scholarly and courteous demeanor earned him widespread respect, passed away peacefully at his home on March 29, 2018. He was born in New Orleans on the Fourth of July, 1931 and has been a lifelong resident of our beautiful city and state. He was married to the love of his life, Mary Katherine Brady Casey, for almost 65 years. He is preceded in death by his parents, Joseph Anderson and Dora Stubbs Casey, his brothers, Joseph Stubbs Casey, Robert Taylor Casey, and John Reilly Casey, and his sisters, Dora Casey Joubert and Peggy Casey LeBlanc. He is survived by his beloved wife, his children, Pamela Casey Stanton (Kim), Thomas Alcade Casey Jr. (Elizabeth), Katherine Casey Caffery (Michael), Shannon Casey Countryman (Clay), and John Brady (Brad) Casey (Ashley). He is also survived by his grandchildren, Sarah Stanton Craft (George), Peter Casey Stanton, John Brennan (Jack) Stanton (Anne), Caroline Whittington Casey, Michael St. Marc Caffery Jr., Thomas Casey Caffery, Anne Brady Caffery, Katherine Butler (Kate) Countryman, Elizabeth Brady (Betsy) Countryman, Mary Casey (Molly) Countryman, and Kathryn Grace Casey. He is also survived by 6 great-grandchildren with another on the way, James Ernest Craft, Mary Taylor Craft, Thomas Casey Craft, Peter Henderson Craft, Edmund Fitzgerald Stanton, and Frances Faustina Stanton. Tom was an Honor Class graduate of Jesuit High School. He graduated from Loyola University where he was selected for Blue Key Honor Society and Loyola School of Law where he was a member of Law Review. He was named Alumnus of the Year by Jesuit High School, and he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws by Loyola Law School. He served as Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Military Police Corps in the Korean War and obtained Honorable Discharge as Captain in the Judge Advocate General Corps. He practiced law with his family firm, Casey, Babin and Casey, and as Special Counsel with Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrere & Denegre. He served for 20 years as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives and the Louisiana Senate where he was chairman of Judiciary A, Civil Law Committee. He was a founding member of the Young Turks, a group of newly elected legislators who brought much needed reforms to the Louisiana Legislature. He served as floor leader in the House for the City of New Orleans for Mayor Moon Landrieu and floor leader in the Senate for Governor David Treen. He received the Alliance for Good Government Legislator of the Year Award in 1972, 1976, 1979, 1981, and 1983. He also served as vice-chairman of the Louisiana Constitutional Convention 1973. He was Executive Counsel to Governor Buddy Roemer. His service in the Louisiana Legislature, on the Constitutional Convention, and as Executive Counsel to Governor Roemer was defined by the practical, not the political; was defined by his passion for the law and by his belief in a well-crafted law's ability to improve and sometimes transform lives, for example when he authored, in conjunction with Janet Mary Riley, the present Louisiana Community Property Law which did away with the ""head and master"" rules which governed property acquired during a marriage. In an editorial in the Times-Picayune, reporter Iris Kelso wrote, ""Women who will never know his name will have their rights protected because of his work on landmark legislation governing the management of property. Families settling estates will have an easier time because of his patient, meticulous work on laws governing successions."" He sponsored and handled passage in the Senate for the controversial Louisiana Right to Work law. He passed legislation obtaining state funding for Audubon Zoo; out of gratitude the Zoo named an orangutan ""Casey"" in his honor. For 10 years he chaired the Committee on Suggested State Legislation for the National Council of State Governments. He was appointed by the Louisiana Supreme Court to the Louisiana Indigent Defender Board and served as its first chairman. He represented the Louisiana Senate as a member of the Louisiana Law Institute and a member of the Louisiana Judicial Council. He represented Louisiana as a Commissioner on the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. He received the Weiss Brotherhood Award from the National Conference of Christians and Jews for Distinguished Service in Human Relations. He was a recipient of the Monte M. Lemann Award from the Louisiana Civil Service League. He was honored by the Public Law Center where he was a founding member and on the board of directors. He was a member of St. Thomas More Catholic Lawyers Association. He was Chairman of Loyola Law Alumni, Chairman of the Continuing Legal Education Visiting Committee at Loyola Law School, and Chairman of the Committee on Legislation of the New Orleans Bar Association. He was President of the Junior Chamber of Commerce. Tom and his wife Kathy volunteered with the Archdiocese Family Life Apostolate as Pre-Cana speakers for engaged couples. Tom was Chairman of the Jesuit High School President's Advisory Council, a member of the Board of Trustees of Dominican College, a member of the Ursuline Academy Advisory Council, President of the Jesuit High School Parents Club. Above all he adored his wife Kathy and was deeply committed to his Catholic faith. He and Kathy attended daily Mass together. He cherished and valued time with his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and beloved nieces and nephews. The house was constantly filled with numerous extended family members celebrating endless birthdays, holidays, and life events. He loved traveling. In earlier years before seatbelts, he and Kathy would pile the 5 children into the back of the station wagon and travel the United States. In later years he and Kathy enjoyed international travel. He was a man who embodied integrity, courtesy, kindness. He always had a smile on his face and a positive outlook. Charles Hargroder, a reporter for the Times-Picayune wrote, ""There are others in the Senate who wear well the description of gentlemen. They are honest men of an integrity that brings the respect of other senators and all with whom they deal. Their devotion is to truth. But no one wears the mantle of dignity and honor so well as Casey. In the 20 years I've seen Tom Casey in action he has been the most even-tempered, forthright, courteous and knowledgeable lawmaker it has been my pleasure to know."" On learning of Tom's passing, Governor Roemer wrote, ""I never knew a finer man. Thoughts of him bring a smile to my face – and my heart. Please say goodbye to Tom for me, and thank him on behalf of an entire State."" Well done, good and faithful servant. Matthew 25:23. A Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, April 7, 2018 at 11 AM at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church, 6367 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans. Visitation will begin at 9:30 AM at the church. Interment will take place at Lake Lawn Park following the Mass. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Jesuit High School, 4133 Bank Street, New Orleans LA 70119 or Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans, 1000 Howard Avenue, Suite 200, New Orleans LA 70113.