Richard "Dick" Casey

1946 - 2022

When we see big yellow trucks and classic cars we will always think of Dick Casey. On Friday morning, February 18, Dick Casey ,with his bright blue eyes looking upward and arms stretched toward Heaven, left this earthly home and went to be with his Heavenly Father after several lengthy illnesses. Dick Casey, was born to Ralph and Marcella Casey in New Richmond, Wisconsin on June 8, 1946. Dick was the 3rd of 7 children. At the age of 12 or 13, the Casey family loaded up and headed to the eastern slope of Colorado where they made their home in Evans. He started out driving a cattle truck for his dad Ralph ( though he didn't even have his drivers license yet) and also mowed lawns around town. From a very young age it was apparent that Dick was a hard worker. After being named prom king, he graduated from Evans High School in 1964. He then continued on to Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colorado. After a couple of years at NJC he went to work for Northwestern Engineering. During the mid '60's he started working for his friend and mentor Tom Cowan at Cowan Concrete of Greeley. This is where his love of Concrete began. He would run two batch plants for Cowan. One in Windsor and the other in Ft. Collins. In 1968 he married Linda Hobbs. From this marriage came three children. John, Tami and Kelly. They later divorced. It was around 1979 when Casey decided to move his young family, two longtime employees, Jimmy Martin and Larry Stievers, a portable batch plant, and two old mixer trucks to the Western Slope. He had heard of the big Oil Shale Boom happening in the area and decided to make a go of it. Making his home in Rifle. This is where Dick Casey Concrete Company would set up their first batch plant. In 1982 Casey Concrete would be responsible in supplying the concrete for the building of the largest head frame in the United States located on the Piceance Basin for Oxidental Petroleums CB Tract. In 1986 Dick would meet his wife and soulmate, Donna who proved to be his faithful companion through the thick and thin of it. With that union he took Donna's two daughters Denneane and Christine, under his wing. Loving them like his own. In 1995 Casey, with the help of Donna and his right hand man Shawn Vondette, would persistently work on the permitting and jumping through whatever hoops the county was throwing at them in order to open another batch plant in Carbondale, expanding their service area and fleet. Through the years, Casey wasn't just the boss. He took loads whenever they needed a driver. He and Donna along with longtime friend and driver Alan Hangs and his wife Tammy made several trips to Dodge Center Minnesota to pick up new mixers for the fleets and drive them back to Colorado. Thankfully after the first trip to pick up new mixers, Casey made sure Donna had something more comfortable than a lawn chair to sit on for the ride home. Casey kept his CDL until he was no longer able to. He and Donna could always be seen checking on jobs up and down the Valley. Continually taking the time to stand in the mud and make sure the pour was going as it should. As someone recently said, Casey cared about his product and he cared about people. Casey was known throughout the valley not only for his business accomplishments but also for his car collection that consists of his very first car, a '38 Ford coupe. Along with a number of classics and an antique truck fleet that is lined up on Highway 6 outside of Rifle. Whenever there was a car show nearby you would see him with his collection that required a number of family members and friends shuttling them to the show. Although for many years he battled cancer and so many other illnesses he always wanted those round him to have fun. It gave him so much pleasure seeing people enjoying themselves. Casey is preceded in death by his parents, Ralph and Marcella Casey; infant grandson, R.J. Douglas; brother, Fred Casey; and daughter, Tami Casey. His wife, Donna survives him along with their children, John (Kelly Beth) of Cave Creek Arizona, Kelly (Roger) Douglas also of Cave Creek Arizona, Christine Myers of Rifle, and Denneane (Billy) Conn also of Rifle; older brother, Dave (Terry) Casey of Santa Rosa Florida; brother and best friend, Don Casey of Johnstown Colorado; sister, MaryAnn (Jim) Krebbs of Cave Creek Arizona; brother, Jerry (Jane) Casey of Anchorage Alaska; and sister, Margy (Eamon) Hayden of North Vancouver British Columbia. Casey has 10 grandchildren, and 4 great grandchildren. He had nieces and nephews all over the globe and too many loyal friends and employees to mention. The family would like to thank the doctors and staff at Mayo Clinic where he spent so much time the past 15 years. Their kindness and compassion was prevalent throughout his lengthy illnesses. He was truly blessed by so many people, and so many of us where blessed by him. In a note a good friend recently gave his wife, Donna, she read "All men die - some never live, this in no way applies to Dick. He was a quiet fighter and a good friend" A graveside burial will take place at Rose Hill Cemetery in Rifle on Saturday March 12 and 2:42 in the afternoon. Rifle Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. A Celebration of Life will also held in June for both Dick and his daughter Tami Casey who passed away January 8, 2022. Invitations will mailed with details.