Anthony J. Causa
September 22, 1943 - January 1, 2021

"This is such sad news. Sending prayers to Mr. Causa?s family. "

"To the Causa Family, My Sincere Condolences to all of you. Mr Causa had the Respect and Admiration of every student and athlete he had. Honest, Caring and Sincere with every student he taught. He was Fun and strict which is what you needed to be as a teacher. I will always remember he smile It would fill a room. He was truly one of the good ones I was BLESSED to have growing up in Red Hook. Who would have thought Comparative Religions could be interesting? Mr Causa made it that way. R.I.P. Sir Brian Courtney Class of 79"

"Tony was my cooperating teacher when I was a student teacher. He left a lasting impression on me and I have reflected on his words of wisdom frequently throughout my teaching career. I am so sorry for your loss."

"My friend I will deeply miss you...thank you for the moments we shared ...I will always remember you...RIP.."

"Unlike the tributes from all those students....I was lucky enough to teach with Tony for years. He made me laugh when things got hard and shared many stories of his wonderful family. I am so sorry for your loss. "

"My son Christoper Stoppenbach sent this to me from Australia. My teacher Mr Causa from Red Hook High passed away He was one of the Great Ones, kind, generous and fair. Please remember him at church for me. I definitely will and offer my condolences to his family "

"Loved going to his class everyday, he made it funny and interesting. He always would ask me about my sports. One of Red Hook's best, privilege to have been one of his students. So sorry for the huge loss to your family and friends. Please take comfort in the many lives he impacted so positively. "

"Mr. Causa was one of my favorite history teachers. He was a great asset to the RHHS teaching community and I feel privileged to have been one of his students. Rest in peace."

"my deepest condolences on your loss. I had Mr. Causa for 9th grade social studies in 1985. He was one of my favorite teachers by far. I loved when he always said his favorite"Abu Dabi". He was very passionate when teaching. He was definitely a good one and Red Hook was lucky to have him."

"Mr. Causa was such an inspiration to me as a student (Class of ?97) in Red Hook High School. His enthusiasm and passion for world studies inspired me to study abroad in college and choose a degree based on that. I now happily work for an international non-governmental organisation (currently living in Scotland) and I know that if it wasn?t for the opportunity of learning from him (especially in elective classes) I might not have had the courage and passion to pursue my dreams. Sending his family gratitude for allowing us all to share time with him. "

"Anthony Causa was much more than a teacher to me. He was a mentor who literally changed the course of my life in a very profound way. He was the kind of teacher every student hopes to find the first time they set foot in a class room, and yet so rarely do. The first time I set foot in Tony?s classroom was in my freshman year at Red Hook High school. On the first day of 9th grade social studies, he passed out a blank map of the world, and asked us to fill in dozens of place names. Some were simple like the US, England or France, others were tied to current events, like Sakhalin Island (where the Soviet Union had recently shot down a South Korean passenger jet.) Many of the students grumbled about being given a test on the first day of class. Tony explained there would be no grade, he just wanted to understand what we knew. I loved maps and relished the assignment. As it turned out, I got only one of the dozens of places on the list wrong: Mongolia. It was kind of a stand out performance that led him to approach me and ask how I knew so much about geography. I explained that my bedroom walls were covered with maps. It was the beginning of a mentoring relationship that would last throughout my high school days, and impact my life far beyond the walls of Red Hook High. Soon after the map ?quiz? he gave our 9th grade class a sociological study on ?the ASU and their Rac? that looked at this society?s particular fascination with a certain beast of burden. Then of course, the big reveal, that the ASU was the USA and the Rac was the car. He made us look at our society from the outside not only to question ourselves, but also to be less quick to judge ?primitive? societies. It was a lesson I never forgot. I had an affinity for the subject, but it was also the man himself who captured my interest. He was an engaging teacher, and he was funny to me in his own way. He was given to interesting tangents from which he?d recover with the phrase ?moving at the speed of a wounded tortoise.? He was fond of the phrase ?ergo, Latin for therefore.? He referred to himself as ?your erstwhile and present pedagogue.? It was a sort of faux pretense. He wasn?t really a pretentious person, but sometimes he would pretend to be. I found it funny and charming. In addition to the 9th grade class, I had him again for my 11th grade History Regents class. He inspired me to achieve a perfect score of 100 on the statewide history regents that year, I believe only the second time a Red Hook student achieved the feat up to that point. Starting from that 9th grade class, I became inspired to be a history teacher myself. Through the remainder of high school and through three years of college, my intent was to follow in Tony?s footsteps. The reason I didn?t become a teacher is also a tribute to Tony as well. In my senior year at Red Hook, I took both electives Tony offered, Comparative Religions and another course called ?China and the West?, a surgery of modern China?s interactions with the western powers. The China course was all Tony and pretty visionary at that time for a small school like Red Hook. The class gave me the China bug. I still wanted to be a history teacher like Tony and I went to SUNY Albany with that intent. But at SUNY I put the focus of my history studies on Asia, largely due to Tony?s influence. I took as many courses on China as I could, largely due to Tony?s influence. When I?d complated all my history course work and it was time to take the education classes I needed to be a teacher, I faced a challenge. I was simply too invested in China. I wanted to know more. I wanted to study Chinese language. I couldn?t to do those things and take the required education courses as well. I ended up dropping the education courses, and my plans of becoming a high school teacher, to learn more about China. Tony had done his job too well. He inspiredwith a love of Chinese history that steered me away from my plans to become a teacher like him. Immediately after graduating SUNY I went to China and studied the language for three years. I travelled the country, journeying along the Silk Road, venturing to both ends of the Great Wall, and following the banks of the Mekong River through the rain forests of Yunnan. When I returned to the US after three years in China, one of the first things I did was go and address Tony?s class on my experiences in China. It was the least I could do for the man who had such an impact on my development. I went on to become a foreign correspondent for Bloomberg and spent almost two decades in China. I made a career of the interest in China that Tony inspired. Tony, you were the best teacher I ever had, and I will never forget you. RIP, my erstwhile and present pedagogue. "

"I?m a 1984 graduate of Red Hook, and I still quote him today. He was a great teacher and helped mold the lives of so many. I?m so sorry to hear of his passing. May God give you peace and comfort. With Love, Patti Pagan"

"So sorry to hear this. Mr. Causa was a terrific social studies teacher and always made the classes interesting. He would always try to slip in a nugget about the Yankees, which made him ultra cool. "

"Mr. Causa was one of my favorite teachers. He was a compelling presenter who loved his subject. Deepest sympathy to his family. Catherine Carter RH Class of 1975"

"One of my absolute favorite teachers! He will be sadly missed. I learned so much from him. So sorry for your loss."

"So sorry to hear the loss of Mr.Causa. I had him a a a Social Studies teacher and remember our class played the teachers in a softball game which was epic for the times . My condolences to the family . R I P"

"He was a great teacher. So sorry for your loss ??"

"My condolences to you and your family. Mr. Causa was my social studies teacher ???? in the mid 80s. I enjoyed his class very much, ?Ergo, Latin for therefore?, I paid attention and learned a lot from him. RIP ? "

"Rest is peace Tony. We will all miss you. Please say hey to Roger. Glad you are with your buddy. And just incase you see my boy child. Send my love and watch over him. Xo. "