Obituary of Commodore Andrew Casada

On August 7, 1909, Commodore Andrew Casada was born in the Tusquittee section of Clay County. At the tender age of five, and in the depths of a bitterly cold winter, he walked alongside the covered wagon his parents used to move the family from Tusquittee to the upper reaches of Juneywhank Branch in Swain County. Except for a short stint when he worked in Haywood County as a young man, he called Bryson City and Swain County home for the remainder of a long, full, and fruitful earthly life. On January 29, 2011, at the age of 101, he was borne on angel wings from his home in Bryson City to perpetual residence at a new home in the mountainous regions of Glory Land. He was predeceased by his parents, Joseph and Minnie Casada; his beloved wife of 59 years, Anna Lou Moore Casada; and eight brothers and sisters. He is survived by three children—Annette Hensley; Don Casada and his wife, Susan; and Dr. Jim Casada and his wife, Ann. Other survivors include five grandchildren (Joshua, Matthew, Will, and Sarah Casada and Natasha Getway); a great-grandchild, Ashlyn Getway; and a number of nephews and nieces. Virtually all of Commodore's working career was spent at Carolina Wood Turning Company and its successor operations, where he progressed from what he laughingly described as "the greenest hand that ever was" to holding, at various times, the title of foreman, plant purchasing agent, and plant manager. A staunch believer in and advocate for education, he served a number of terms on the local school board and also was at one time a trustee of the Marianna Black Library. He took quiet pride in having helped put two of his sisters through college and seeing them become the first family members to earn college degrees. He likewise evinced his commitment to education by nurturing, supporting, and actively encouraging all three of his children as they completed college and university studies. He was an outstanding athlete in a variety of competitive sports, playing a key role on Swain County High School's first championship basketball team, garnering regional recognition as a fine performer in both fast-pitch softball and baseball, and being an avid golfer well into his retirement years. Another pursuit which gave him great pleasure was gardening, and he took special pride in the size and productivity of his carefully nurtured tomatoes. Commodore's love of hunting, fishing, and the great outdoors was one he passed on to both his boys in ample measure, and in addition to being a mentor to them he gladly filled a similar role with his nephew, James Burnett, as well as with various boyhood friends of his sons including James Sossamon, Jackie Corbin, Frank Fry, Bill Rolen, and Bobby Childers. His service to the community as a concerned, caring citizen who cherished his highland homeland covered a number of areas and was of lifelong duration. It included membership and leadership roles first in the local Lions Club and later as a Rotarian, support of Swain High School athletic programs in various capacities, involvement in the local Little League baseball program at its inception, and more than a half century as a devoted and highly supportive member of Bryson City Presbyterian Church. Over the years as a church member he served multiple terms as an elder; on pulpit, finance, and other committees; and indeed in any way he could help. For a number of years he maintained the church grounds on his own. Commodore's devotion to the church and the Lord was constant and unstinting. A service celebrating Commodore Casada's life and honoring his memory, conducted by Reverend Terry Hanna, will be held in the Bryson City Presbyterian Church sanctuary at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 5. It will be followed immediately by interment in Swain Memorial Park. Prior to the service, beginning at 10:00 a.m., the family will receive friends in the room adjacent to the sanctuary. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made either to the Bryson City Presbyterian Church (P. O. Box 549, Bryson City, NC 28713) or the Bryson City Food Pantry (P. O. Box 1661, Bryson City, NC 28713).