Dr. Michael Casey: 1954-2007

JANE LEE
News Editor

Dr. Michael Casey, Pepperdine professor of communication, passed away Monday night surrounded by family at Kaiser Hospital in Woodland Hills after a battle with cancer. He was 53.

Casey, who was initially diagnosed with cancer in April of 2006, served as the Carl P. Miller Chair of Communication and was in the middle of his 21st year of teaching at Pepperdine.

“Our community lost a talented, kind, gentle and loving man last evening,” President Andrew K. Benton said. “His pain is over and for that I am glad. Our loss will be felt for a long time.”

Communication professor Dr. John Jones described his colleague not only as a person with whom he shared a strong passion with for the St. Louis Cardinals, but as a “devoted Christian father, husband, professor, scholar and friend.”

“He was a strong believer in Christian education and was always looking for new innovative ways to integrate faith into teaching,” said Jones, who first met Casey nine years ago. “He was a very gifted researcher, and one of the last days I saw him he was telling me how he wanted to write more books.”

Benton said Casey battled the cancer with “courage and trust in God,” and that, if ever faced with the same challenge, “I hope I could do half as well.”

Casey is survived by his wife, Judy, and son, Neil.

Benton said he admired Judy for exhibiting both faith and hope during a time such as this.

“She never minimized the challenge and neither did she dwell in despair,” he said.

A funeral service will be held within the next week in Casey’s home state of Missouri. Although a date has not been set, a memorial service will also be held on campus in November.

10-23-2007