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In memory of those who have Crossed the Bar
CASEY, Joseph Henry (Joe) - 91, of Victoria Beach, passed away February 16, 2010, quietly at home. Joe was a master storyteller who kept his listeners laughing. In 1940, Joe took a break from fishing to join the Navy, as an able seaman he rose quickly through the ranks to commanding officer. After the war he became a Bay of Fundy pilot. Also Joe operated three fish factories, and Fundy View House and Cabins. In 1970, he entered politics and was elected six times to the Provincial Legislature. Joe has always been a very sought after dinner speaker and has entertained passengers on board cruise ships.
Joe's stories were as colorful as his life. For the past five decades he's been telling and retelling his stories. In Joe's recent years he wrote "The Wit & Wisdom of Joe Casey" and "The Life and Times of Joe Casey". Joe was a member of Victoria Beach Baptist Church. Joe is survived by his wife of 67 years, Vera Gertrude (McWhinnie); daughter, Linda Walker, Scarborough; sons, Michael (Lynn) of Hubley; Duncan (Brenda) of Digby; eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his father, John and mother, Laura; sister, Emma Lorince. The family wish to express thanks and appreciation to so many people, particularly in the past year. Visitation will be held 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Friday from Kaulbach Family Funeral Home, Annapolis Royal and where the Royal Canadian Legion will hold their service 7 p.m. Friday. A service of celebration of Joe's life will be held 1 p.m. Saturday from First United Baptist Church, Annapolis Royal with Rev. Elizabeth Waugh officiating assisted by Rev. Dr. George Allen. Following the service a reception will be held at the Annapolis Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion. Interment will follow in Garden of Peace Cemetery, Victoria Beach.
Joe Casey: A member to remember
In the Second World War, young Joe Casey of Victoria Beach was one of two pilots (the other was his father) qualified to steer hulking munitions ships through the tricky tides of the Digby Gap, where they could hide from German submarines that prowled the Bay of Fundy. Some days, the young naval officer piloted a dozen large ships through the Gap and into Annapolis Basin. On other days, he was the hunter, commanding a patrol boat that searched for subs and protected the Digby-Saint John ferry on which a number of family and friends served as crew. After this nerve-testing start to his working life, it’s no wonder Joe Casey, who died Tuesday at age 91, had little problem surviving the battles of Nova Scotia politics and winning six terms in the House of Assembly, where he was Liberal MLA for Digby and Digby-Annapolis in 1970-1984 and 1988-1997.
As a politician, Joe Casey, was definitely a happy warrior, focused on people, constituency work and fixing problems. He was not a man for narrow partisanship. He was too much of a character, with far too much of a sense of humour, for that. As Liberal Leader Stephen McNeil said yesterday, Joe Casey "loved to tell stories and make people laugh. He loved people and he loved helping them."
People appreciated the help and the stories. A local ferry was given his name after he fought hard to get it. And two books of his stories (The Wit and Wisdom of Joe Casey and The Life and Times of Joe Casey) were hot sellers. No one was better at collecting and telling tales than the MLA from The Beach in the trademark fisherman’s cap who drew on an eclectic life that included selling fish, operating fish plants, keeping a hotel and cottages and, not surprisingly, motivational speaking and cruise ship raconteur. And as he liked to offer by way of accountability and disclaimer, 95 per cent of the stuff was true.
Joe Casey didn’t exempt himself or his profession from satire. "The day the House of Assembly closed one spring, my car broke down so I had to go home by bus," ran one Casey anecdote. "A male passenger boarded the bus at Waterville. During the trip, he told me in great detail about his six-month stay at the Waterville Correctional Centre. He said, ‘I would find it awful hard to explain to the people of my village my stay at the correctional centre.’ I said to him, ‘You think you have troubles? I am just coming home from a three-month stay in the Nova Scotia Legislature.’” An MLA who could pilot a shipload of dynamite, would ride the bus and worked at making us laugh is one worth remembering.
Former MLA Joe Casey dead at 91—Liberal remembered for his focus on people
By BRIAN MEDEL Yarmouth Bureau
Joe Casey was remembered Wednesday as a man of the people.
Casey, a longtime Liberal MLA for Digby-Annapolis, died Tuesday at his Victoria Beach, Annapolis County, home. He was 91. He was remembered for many things, including his wit, the fascinating stories he told and the genuine interest he took in those around him. "He was a remarkable Nova Scotian," said Liberal Leader Stephen McNeil. Casey not only had a distinguished political career, but was sought after as a speaker, McNeil said Wednesday. "When you left an evening with Joe Casey, you left having had an evening of laughter and fun," McNeil said about Casey, who was one of the leader’s constituents. "He was a man of the people and fought on their behalf, taking their concerns to the legislature."
In the neighbouring riding of Digby-Annapolis, Liberal MLA Harold (Junior) Theriault said Casey was never very political. "He was always a representative of the people," said Theriault. "It was always about people.” Casey was often a great help to Theriault, too. "The first question I asked Joe just as I was starting to run for this job . . . (was), tell me what I’m getting into?" Theriault recalled Wednesday. The answer surprised him a little. "He said, ‘I can’t. Every year is different. Every day is different. Every hour is different. Every minute’s different.’ "He said, ‘You put 16 hours aside (each) day and that should cover you.’ He wasn’t far off. And the other eight hours you dream about it.
"Joe Casey will never be forgotten.”
Acting premier Frank Corbett offered his condolences Wednesday in a prepared statement. "I was deeply saddened to hear that Joe Casey passed away this week," Corbett said. "I never had the privilege of working with Joe in the Nova Scotia legislature, but I know that he was extremely dedicated to his constituents.” In 1940, Casey left the fishing industry to join the navy. After the Second World War, he worked as a Bay of Fundy pilot, an obituary said. Casey also operated several fish plants and some tourist accommodations.
He entered provincial politics in 1970 and was elected six times in what is now the riding of Digby-Annapolis. Casey was also a highly regarded and much-sought-after dinner speaker. He was a member of the Atlantic Speakers Bureau. "As far as we were concerned, he was just the consummate speaker because everybody just loved him," the bureau’s Allen Phillips said from St. Stephen, N.B. "He was just a terrific man to work with. He had . . . that wry, down-home sense of humour.” Rev. George Allen is a longtime friend who often shared the platform with Casey during speaking engagements. "Joe was a great humorist, you know," said the retired Baptist minister, who will turn 97 next month. "I last saw Joe just shortly before Christmas . . . in his home in Victoria Beach.” He will assist during a funeral service Saturday in Annapolis Royal. In recent years, Casey wrote The Life and Times of Joe Casey: From Fish to Politics. A previous book about Casey is titled The Wit & Wisdom of Joe Casey. Casey was married for 67 years to the former Vera McWhinnie.
Ships served in: ML Q114 - Appointed to Q114 05 Feb 1945 as a SLt, RCNVR ML Q121 - Appointed to Q121 19 Apr 1945 as a SLt, RCNVR
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