"Cecil was a person to be admired. I remember his smile and friendliness. Most sincere sympathy to his family. "
Cecil "Cec" Richard Caskey, age 79, of Milford, Iowa, passed away on September 17th, 2012, at his home shortly after being diagnosed with cancer. Cecil was born June 18th, 1933, in Spirit Lake, Iowa, to Henley "Doc" and Elsie Caskey. He married Sharon Rose Kinniston on July 15, 1957.
Cecil worked hard to become a respected concrete contractor in the Iowa Great Lakes. Countless examples of his work will be enjoyed for many years to come. He enjoyed his work, family and many friends in Spirit Lake, Milford and Mesa his entire life. He loved nothing better than to travel the area to appreciate the beauty of rural America. He shared his love of life and a unique sense of humor wherever he went. He will be best remembered as a happy guy who loved to tease and make others smile.
Survived by his wife, Sharon of Milford; his children, Ric Caskey, and wife, Deb, Rapid City, Michelle Caskey of Spirit Lake, and Curt Caskey of Milford; his grandchildren Halley and Ian Caskey of Rapid City, Travis Caskey of Spirit Lake, and Demi Caskey of Sioux City; his brother, Art Caskey, and wife, Ruby, of Riverview, Florida; and a sister Eunice Conroy of Bella Vista, AR. He was preceded in death by his mother and father, Henley "Doc" and Elsie Caskey; and his brother, Bruce.
A funeral service will be held at 10:30A.M. Thursday, September 20, 2012, at the First Presbyterian Church in Spirit Lake. Visiation will be held Wednesday, from 5:00P.M. until 7:00P.M. at the Schuchert Funeral Home. Burial will be at Lakeview Cemetery.
"Cecil was a person to be admired. I remember his smile and friendliness. Most sincere sympathy to his family. "
"I remember Cecil as always ready to get a crew together and to go to work. Always with a smile and enthusiasm. There was never a dull moment around Cecil."
"Thoughts and prayers are with you. Pat Bartels"
"WE ARE SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS. HE WILL BE MISSED BY ALL THAT KNEW HIM. "
"I have so many good memories of Cecil. I loved sitting out on the back patio of their home in Mesa and be fertile ground for his humor:-) He always made me laugh. He was a very special man, husband, friend, father, brother that we all learned so much by his sweet example. My thoughts and prayers will be with you Sharon and your family. God Bless You All!"
"So many fond memories are held by my family, especially by my husband and son David. He was such a kidder and always found a way to make them laugh. Allan still talks about the time Cecil came to LA and met us for dinner it was quite a dinner; Cecil ate two lobster dinners then joked about stopping on the way out of town for coffee and dessert! The topping on the cake was while we were waiting for the Valet to bring our cars and Cecil told us that he had left $3,000 under the floor mat of his truck -- can you imagine doing something like this in LA?? But that was Cecil, he trusted everyone. We will miss him dearly and will hold a very special place in our hearts as well as the hearts of his family and many friends that were fortunate to have had him in their lives. Sharon, Ric, Curtis and Shelly you were very lucky to have had him as a husband and father. He will always be with you and watch over you and his grandchildren. With all our love to all of you. "
"Cecil never met a stranger and never forgot a friend. I've known him for more years than I want to admit and I've never heard anyone say a bad word about him. Gosh how I will miss the teasing and that big smile and those great hugs. Much love to the family he was so proud of. So sorry for your loss."
"I will always remember that smile and that big hand shake :-) "
"I will never forget that one of a kind smile and sense of humor whenever seeing Cecil. I would go out of my way to stop by and see Cecil and Sharon just to say "hi" on my way up to the farm on Hill Ave, just to hear that laugh and get teased like only Cecil knew how to do. Thoughts and prayers are with Sharon and family at this difficulte time. Cherish the memories and smile because Cecil will always be with you!"
"As a child and a very unique and special relationship I will always remember the kidding and jokes he would play on me. As an adult, I will always cherish the day he walked me down the aisle on my wedding day. I will miss him dearly and wish we could have had more time to spend together but I know he will be keeping an eye on me until we meet again."
"We were so sorry to hear about your dad/grandpa. Please know that we have lots of fond memories of Cecil and his quick wit. The video tribute was so very touching-- just shows the importance of a close family. Our hugs to you!"
"Sharon and family: I'm deely saddened to hear of Cecil's passing. The video tribute truly showed a man who deeply cared about his family. May those happy memories help you through this difficult time. Bless you all."
"I am sorry to hear about your loss. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family. I have known Cecil and the family for many years."
"Cec was a great neighbor with a kind heart. Always enjoyed the guy. He will be missed by alot of people. Your family is in our prayers"
"I will forever miss the words " hell man the only thing we can do is keep going" when we are stuck on a logging trail in northern Arizona or the redwood forest in Northern California where we were stuck in a tree. I have had many adventures in my lifetime but none will ever equal the many good trips with the humor I had with Cecil. It was an honor to know him and be able too call him my best friend."
"What wonderful pictures. Time sure does fly. Cecil was one of a kind. He teased everyone and I was no exception. I will miss his humor and teasing (I think). I am lucky and glad I knew him. I will remember him always. My thoughts and prayers are with all of the Caskey family. "
"I met Cecil on Sept. 18, 1961. He was admiring his newborn daughter Shelley, I was also admiring my newborn daughter Lisa. We started a friendship that lasted till his death. He will be greatly missed by our family. Our thoughts and prayer to Sharon and family."
"Cecil was a great neighbor with a lot of spunk. He will be remembered for being straight-forward and honest, easy to talk to, and for having a great outlook on life. You could tell he loved Sharon and the rest of his family a lot by how much he teased them. Cecil also had a great way of making people laugh...you will be missed."
"My thoughts and prayers are with Sharon and family during this difficult time. Cecil's personality will be greatly missed."
"What a great guy! Always joking and such a joy to be around. We certainly will miss your Louisiana visits and how much you enjoyed our state and our food. Sharon, we are so sorry for your loss and will keep you and your family in our prayers. With fond memories, Rest in Peace Cecil. Your Louisiana Family"
"Cecil loved life and was happiest when he was teasing someone. He appeared so tough on the outside, but inside he was a teddy bear. He certainly left his mark on this world! My sympathiy to Sharon and family."
"My cousin Cecil was an unique individual. His humor and attitude set him apart from most people. I will miss him. My regrets go out to Sharon and the family."