Thomas E. Casson

Thomas Casson, loving husband, father, brother, cousin and friend, passed away on April 10 in Glen Ellyn, Ill. The first of nine children, Tom was born in 1947 in Elizabeth, N.J. His father, Edward Gaynor Casson, was a sales executive at the Mohawk Brush Company. His mother, Ann Marie, was a homemaker.

The family moved to Rockville Centre, N.Y. where Tom attended St Agnes. He spent two years away at St. Albert’s Junior Seminary in Middletown, N.Y., but returned to St. Agnes after opting not to become a priest. Tom went on to attend St. Michael’s College, University of Toronto. After graduating, he taught primary school in the Bahamas and Newfoundland before beginning a career in college textbook publishing. Over the course of 30+ years, Tom moved from sales rep, to editor, to manager, to publisher—the latter at McGraw-Hill. He often had the opportunity to travel outside the U.S. during his career and relished every trip. In his twenties, Tom began to run marathons, including Boston and New York. In his thirties and forties, he focused on cycling and continued to do so until months before his death. Cycling was Tom’s heaven. An all-weather cyclist, Tom rode up mountains, down coasts, across plains, in cities, in town. He rode randonneurs and centuries, L'Étape du Tour and Ragbrai. He rode in self-guided tours from Ashland to Santa Barbara, the Adirondacks to Boston to NYC, New Orleans to Vero Beach. Tom also became a great walker, with long-distance trips in England, Ireland and Scotland.

Tom leaves behind his wife Jill Barrie, his son Matthew Casson, sisters Mary Lessard and Jeanne Casson, brothers Jim, Justin and Paul Casson, and many nieces, nephews, in-laws and friends. He was predeceased by siblings Chris Casson Madden, John Casson, and Pat Casson. Donations can be made to the ACLU or Amnesty International.