Donald "Dan" Joseph Casey

"Donald (Dan) Joseph Casey, a native New Yorker, passed away peacefully at the age of eighty-four on August 16, 2019, in South Hadley, Massachusetts. Donald was born on June 19, 1935, in Queens Village, NY, to Irish immigrants, Ellen “Nellie” Dalton and John Joseph Casey. He will be deeply missed by his wife, Bonnie, of 44 years, his son Daniel and his daughter Diana. Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Mary Ellen Hyatt. Donald grew up in Astoria, Queens, with a love for baseball and photography, becoming a humble man with a brilliant mind. He attended Maryknoll Seminary and was ordained a priest in 1962. Donald believed the Church to be a position of service, and the priest an enunciator of the feelings and needs of the people in their community. Donald earned his masters degree in Journalism from Columbia University ('63) and, in 1969, he became the director of the Maryknoll’s film division. In the following years, Donald used film to unite people. He believed we often see others as stereotypes, not as they really are. He wanted people to know that basically everyone is the same. His pursuits took him around the world - to the villages of Tanzania, the corn fields of the Philippines, the factories of Hong Kong, the streets of Chile, and the mountains of Peru. In 1973, Donald was awarded the prestigious Maria Moors Cabot prize, the oldest international awards in journalism. In 1975, Donald married Bonnie Stretch, whom he first met over a decade earlier at the Columbia School of Journalism. In the subsequent years, Donald and Bonnie traveled the globe, started a family, and became leaders in their community. In the early 80s, Donald and Bonnie adopted their two children from Colombia. Through the 80s and 90s, Donald continued his communications work, ascended to the role of "chef" for his family, was twice president of the Independent Neighborhood Democrats. Beginning in the mid-90s, Donald became the communications director for the Association Francois-Xavier Bagnoud, an international development organization helping women and children left in the wake of the devastating AIDS pandemic. Upon moving to South Hadley in 2008, Donald brought his love of journalism, politics, and community to the Pioneer Valley as well as his fabled Irish charm. He was an active member of the First Congregational Church of Amherst. Calling hours will be held on Monday, August 19, 2019 from 2:00-4:00 p.m. at the Beers & Story South Hadley Funeral Home. A service will be held on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. at the First Congregational Church of Amherst, 165 Main St., Amherst, MA. Burial will follow at Simsbury Cemetery in Simsbury, CT. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to Alzheimer's Foundation of America."