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Eldon Dewitt Casey
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| Born | November 16, 1941 |
| | Lancaster |
| | Lancaster County |
| | South Carolina |
| | USA |
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| Died | December 30, 1997 |
| | Red Bank |
| | Lexington County |
| | South Carolina |
| | USA |
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Dewitt | |
Mr. Eldon Dewitt Casey, 56, of 212 Shirway Court, Lexington, South Carolina passed away Tuesday December 30, 1997 in Red Bank. He was born November 16, 1941 in Lancaster, the son of Hazel S. and Minnie Bell Robinson Casey. He was a retired sign writer and accomplished artist.
Funeral services were held Friday, January 2, 1998 at 2:00 p.m. at the Cauthen Funeral Home, Lancaster Chapel by the Rev. Marty Cox. Burial was in the Lancaster Memorial Park with military honors rendered by the SC Marine Corps League H. E. Speedy Wilson Detachment #1141 of which he was very proud to be a member.
He was upbeat and pleasant, quick to smile and befriend, loved God, life, his family, his country as well as the Marine Corps and Marine Corps League, had exceptional artistic talent and is sadly missed by the many who loved him.
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| Eldon Dewitt Casey was a sign writer by trade. Some called him a sign painter -- but he was definitely an artist. His sketching and wood carving produced very lifelike renditions of every day objects which became more than just pictorial representations of things; but objects d'art -- many of which I grew to covet; but few of those I managed to acquire -- for he was a point of intersection in numerous social circles and I just another of his many friends. |
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| I met Dewitt at a mutual friend's place as I was leaving the Navy for another go with civilian life. We grilled steaks and talked late into the evening down a road called Singing Pines not too far from his place by Metze Lake in Red Bank, South Carolina -- the home he truly loved. |
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| He was enamored with creation. He reveled in the changing of the seasons ... which he marked much earlier than most noting the leaves begin to change long before fall arrives. We spent a fair amount of time together given my distinct lack and his abundance of social graces. Though he did not hold degrees nor certificates or academic accolades he knew much of the world and it's nature and humanity gleaned from a lifetime of observation ... and I frequently marveled at his wit and wisdom. |
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| He had both sight and insight. He could see things within other things. We once stopped at a place where kudzu had vined over several pine trees and hills and he saw a heard of elephants. I stepped back, had another look and there it was with ears, and trunks, and large hulking bodies. He said that's how you draw. You see what is there and simply reproduce what is in your mind's eye; and often it's something altogether different than physical reality. A rather subjective approach with objective, often striking results. I was always big fan of his art. |
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| Having served in the Marine Corps he was 'once a marine' and 'always a marine' and the day came when he was beckoned by the Marine Corps League. He had me squire him around looking for red blazers and other regalia appropriate to the uniform of the league and it became central to his life for years. |
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| He spent a lot of time with his good friend Speedy Wilson and the group would engage in excursions to Paris Island and the Veteran's Administration Hospital and the yearly 'Toys for Tots' campaign. He mentioned how inappropriate it was for a person to arrive in furs and a big new Cadillac to haul off many toys for her disadvantaged children. He was a man of character and scruples and standards for behavior. |
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| I recall how proud he was the day he received his 'devil dog' designation -- which is an indicator that one has arrived in that group. It became a central force in the remainder of his life because it was that affiliation which piqued his interests and activities. He belonged to them and they belonged to him. |
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| I wasn't there that winters day when the end came. He had gone into Lexington on an errand and passed on a road near his home while behind the wheel of his beloved white pickup truck. He tore up a fence and scraped his nose -- but his end was soft and quick; appropriate for the friendly fellow who never hurt anyone. I remember the phone message from Sambo who tearfully said that he had passed away. I remember going to the morgue and identifying his body with his two sons. I remember the funeral and the emptiness. I remember wondering what I would do from that day forward. To this day it remains a blur. |
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| Often I reminisce about conversations and travels we had. Many times there have been moments when I wish that I had told him things -- the stuff of wistful memories of days gone by and the inevitable words left unsaid. I find myself speaking to him on occasion, but I know he's not there and like his sister said at the funeral "not coming back" ... but I still do it. It's hard to lose your best friend of 20 years and much harder to accept the fact that memories may be sweet but they can never replace the real thing. |
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| Dewitt Casey was the real deal and I really don't think I'll ever know the likes of him again. Talented and wise beyond the short number of years he was allowed to walk the earth. A friend, a patriot, naturalist, and artist. It was sad to mark his passing and that hollow feeling the end of the year brings to me persists to the day. |
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| Dave (07/17/08 06:34 AM) |
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