Jeremiah P. Casey IV
Jeremiah Patrick Casey IV of Emmaus, Pa, rooted for the Phillies up to the day he died on September 10th, 2022 at the age of 80, after a seven-year battle with lung disease. Jeremiah died at home, and at his bedside were his wife of 54 years, Alice Radler Casey, his daughter Libby (Elizabeth)
Casey, his sister-in-law Toni Radler and friend Molly Kidd.
Born in Hartford, Connecticut on March 26, 1942 into a family with many Jeremiahs (and even a Jerome), he was first called “Bub,” a nickname given by his big sister, Patt. He was next called “Miah” at the Loomis Chaffee School where he was a day student. Later he was known by his wife and friends as Jerry, his students at Muhlenberg College as Dr. Casey, and most importantly, as “Dad” and “Pops” by his daughter. Jeremiah had a brilliant mind, a quality identified at an early age, which led him to Loomis in Windsor, CT for high school (1960) and the College of the Holy Cross for his undergraduate degree (1964). At the University of Virginia he received a doctorate in chemistry (1968) and completed postdoctoral research at Princeton University (1971).
Jeremiah met his wife Alice at the University of Virginia and they were married in 1968. His career as a research chemist brought them to Emmaus, Pa in 1971 to work at Air Products
and Chemicals. During his two decades at Air Products he held more than thirty patents and traveled around the world, working with companies from Germany to Japan. Starting in 1994 he worked at Polytek Development
Corp. as Research Director for 13 years, and also achieved a lifelong goal of teaching a new generation of chemistry students as an adjunct professor at Muhlenberg College.
Jeremiah described his profession in his retirement years as granola maker and organic gardener, where his job was to “shred, compost, till, plant, construct metal fencing, trap groundhogs, harvest and consume.” He conjured up a blueberrium, a protective dome to guard his blueberry bushes but not harm the thieving
birds. Despite his distaste for onions and garlic he faithfully grew both for Alice and Libby. His beautiful yard was a family sanctuary, including
“the laughing place” he created for his daughter and her friends on the edge of the nearby woods.
Jeremiah knew everything about baseball and loved watching games on TV and cheering on the Lehigh Valley IronPigs in person. He could narrate a game – baseball or any other sport, for that matter – in mesmerizing and poetic detail. He was known for his quirky sense of humor and generosity. He showed incredible bravery and resilience at many points in his life, from the early challenge of being born with a club foot to fighting his lung disease until the very end – a fight made possible by the love and support of Alice who was his true partner, best friend, and champion. Years ago Jeremiah had the strength to quit smoking at the request of his daughter, who wanted him to dance at her wedding and live to enjoy his grandchildren. Jeremiah is survived by wife Alice, daughter Libby, son-in-law Michael Riley and grandchildren Willa and Kian of Washington, DC; sister Patricia Frazier and husband Robert, nephew Matthew Frazier and wife Lori, niece Marybeth Mitts and husband Kevin; sister-in-law Toni Radler and husband James Hunt, nephew
William Hunt, niece Joy Hunt; and numerous grandnieces and grandnephews whom he adored.
Alice wants to thank the angels who showed up during the long progression of Jerry's illness including many excellent doctors, especially
Eric Gertner and pulmonologist Aileen Love, both brilliant and caring beyond measure. Mark Radio, personal trainer, who Zoomed with Jerry, talked sports and had a special gift for encouragement and the celebration of small gains. LVHN Hospice nurses. Al Palmer, the young guy who delivered oxygen after-hours in the middle of a storm when we ran out of power. Artist Denise Wilz who became Jerry's hands in the garden. Electrician Doug Augustin who, with his twin brother, dragged his personal generator up the hill to the back patio as power outages popped up around us—for just in case. Treasured relatives, friends, and neighbors.
And especially Molly Kidd, expert tactician and caregiver, who played Willie Nelson for him, sat right down and fit right in.
For more of the family's acknowledgements, please see the online obituary at Legacy.com
The family will hold a memorial on October 8th. Please contact the family or Bachman Kulik & Reinsmith Funeral Homes at (610) 432-4128 for more information. In lieu of flowers, please consider gifts in Jeremiah's memory to the College of the Holy Cross, One College St.,
Worcester, MA 01370.