John Thomas Casey Jr.

Ware-John  T.  Casey Jr., 96, of Ware passed away on Tuesday April 21, 2015 in Holyoke Medical Center. He was born in Ware on Sept. 22, 1918 where he was raised and lived all his life. He was the son of John Thomas Casey Sr. and Victoria (Deslaurier) Casey. John studied mechanical drawing at the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology in Boston. He then joined the Air Force, serving during WWII in the European Theatre (Germany and England) as a flight engineer and later as an aerial gunner. On January 1,1945, his plane was shot down over Germany and his crew was ordered to bail out at 36,000 feet. He was able to pull his rip cord on his parachute at 10,000 feet. He was taken captive by German soldiers and moved through several camps over a 5 month period. His imprisonment ended when the US Army liberated Germany just prior to the end of the war. After receiving the Purple Heart and Bronze Star he was honorably discharged. He was employed as a civil engineer for the Town of Ware from 1954-1965. He then worked in a dye house, and later retired from Mary Lane Hospital in 1980, where he worked in environmental services. John was the husband of the late Evelyn Rose Casey, who died in 2002. They had celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2001. He was also predeceased by his younger brothers Donald F. Casey and James Casey. He went on to live independently for several years and enjoyed his daily walks through the Town of Ware, where he became a familiar face to many. He also enjoyed to travel, and enjoyed several family vacations to places like Old Orchard Beach and Florida. He was always up for an adventure. He was a member of the local VFW and American Legion Posts. He is survived by his daughter Theresa Rose Reed (Casey) and her husband Warren of Ware, along with grandchildren Sonya Marie Paske and husband Michael, Lesley Ann Kanehl and husband Scott, and two greatgrandchildren Jayde Wetteland and Landon Kanehl, as well as several nephews and nieces. Our family wishes to extend our heartfelt appreciation to the Staff at the Leeds VA Hospital, as well as at the Holyoke Soldiers Home, where John most recently enjoyed his last few years filled with activities such as music performances, summer outings and BBQ's and BINGO. He also enjoyed art classes in which he showed a passion for painting. Funeral Services will be held on Monday April 27th from the Charbonneau Funeral Home, 30 Pleasant St in Ware with a Mass at 10am in All Saints Church, North St. Burial with Military Honors will be held in Mt. Carmel Cemetery in Ware. Calling Hours will be held on Sunday from 4 to 6 pm.