Memorial
Edward Henry Cassidy was born on May 28th, 1942, to Dorothy Walter Cassidy and Edward Bernard Cassidy at St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He had his auspicious start among the Protestants instead of the Catholics, as there had been mysterious infant deaths at Mercy Hospital.
He was their second son, and as sure as flowers follow the rain, all members of St. Pat’s congregation assumed ‘Mike’ would follow Pat in a good Irish Catholic family. Thus, he was called Mickey, and then Mike by his family and school friends.
It was an unpleasant surprise when he discovered his real name was Edward Henry. Mike was a busy boy, and he loved to be on the go from the day he was born.
During the epidemic of 1951, Mike was stricken with polio. Mom said it was the worst moment in her life when the nurse handed him his clothes, wrapped in brown paper tied with a string, and admonished our parents to burn them. Miraculously, yet not surprisingly, Mike survived polio, did physical therapy, and was up and running as good as new.
By this time, our folks had added two little sisters, who were perfect in every way. OK, not that perfect, and he was more than willing to point out any flaws, but God help anyone ELSE who did.
His career at St. Pat’s must have been memorable because nine years later, the first question some of the nuns asked me was, “Are you related to Mike Cassidy?” the affirmative being followed immediately by “Sit down and shut up.”
After high school graduation (during which he checked his diploma to be SURE it was signed), Mike joined the Navy and got the chance to visit ports around the world. His tour was extended by two years because of the war in Vietnam.
Upon his return, he worked at Collins and went to Coe College to get his accounting degree. There, he met Beth Ferguson, whom he married in 1971. The nuptials were performed by Beth’s father in his church in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, with her two sisters, Mike’s mother and siblings, and folks from the church present. It was possibly the first time that liquor was ever served under the Reverend’s roof. Mike explained to Beth’s mother that a Cassidy had yet to be married without a little liquor available to the guests, and his wedding would not be the first.
Mike and Beth lived initially in Waterloo, where Mike worked for Wilson Meat Packing on a large sales route. When he transferred to Cedar Rapids to take an accounting job with Wilson/Farmstead, his Waterloo route was taken over by three people, a fact he liked to point out to management every chance he had.
They welcomed their son, Robert, in August of 1975. Chrissy arrived three years later, on the same birthday as her Uncle Pat. Mike kept both kids busy with planting and weeding. He’d annexed nearly an acre of unused land next to his property and turned it into a giant garden. He grew vast quantities of corn, tomatoes, beans, peppers, and onions. His vegetable garden was a surprise for all of us, as he rarely met one that he liked.
Weekends were often spent on a fire crew at Hawkeye Downs race track. He always enjoyed cars, and particularly fast cars. He had an old green truck that he glued and taped together and drove for years. I swear I still see it on the roads now and again. Mike and his friend Jerry delighted in attaching the snow blade and heading out during blizzards to help stranded motorists or shovel out drives for the unexpecting beneficiary of their good deeds campaign.
Another hobby he enjoyed was cutting wood for his wood burning stove, a system that heated the whole house. When the gas company came out, suspicious of his low usage, they changed the meter without asking. They changed the meter AGAIN when that didn’t show a higher usage. Finally, they came into the house to check connections. When they saw the wood burning stove, they asked if he used it often. Mike said, “Only every day.” When asked why he didn’t give that information before, he asked why they didn’t just ask before.
When Rob left for the Navy after graduation, Mike decided it was time buy a new, energy efficient furnace. His hobby of chopping enough wood to heat a two story house through Iowa winters was really a two-man hobby. Rob did not much appreciate his timing, as chopping wood had never been HIS choice of hobbies.
Mike and Beth loved German Shepherds, and owned many over the years. For a long time, they raised pups and sold them only to good homes. His dogs were beautiful and well behaved. They were also extremely protective. One city inspector made the mistake of scaring Chrissy. She ran into the dog run with Tanya. He thought to pursue her there. A neighbor suggested he learn from history, as the last man who’d tried that had ample time to regret it during his hospital visit.
After Farmstead closed, Mike moved into real estate. He did well, and was proud that his customers almost always came back to him when they wanted to sell their homes. His reputation was important to him, and his integrity defined him.
Mike and Beth relocated in Sheldon, Iowa, to take advantage of a career move for Beth. They also lived in Carlisle for several years. In a span of a decade, they moved into three homes, renovated them within an inch of their lives, and flipped them. Mike loved the challenge of making something old look new again, of rearranging a floor plan to make it more livable. His workmanship and attention to detail was really something to marvel at. He never did anything half way. Mike turned this talent and attention to woodworking after retirement and created some beautiful pieces for family members.
Seven months ago, he and Beth returned to Cedar Rapids and had the opportunity to spend more time with their children and grandchildren, Claire and Max. They had fun doing something special and doing nothing at all, as long as it was together. They truly enjoyed each other’s company. Moving back here made it easier for his extended family to enjoy his company as well, and we are all appreciating that time now more than ever. Mike never missed an opportunity to make new friends and enjoy everything life offered. He lived his life to the fullest, even when obstacles got in his way. He accomplished more after his open-heart surgery and the removal of his lung than most men do in a lifetime.
Mike was the go-to guy for input on many of life’s problems – like what to do with a sweaty basement wall, how big should a sunroom be, which layout is best for the garden, where’s a good restaurant near here… He was a wealth of knowledge and opinions.
He is survived by his wife, Beth, his daughter Chrissy, his son Robert, his daughter-in-law Nicole, his granddaughter Claire, and his grandson Max. He is also survived by his brother, Patrick Cassidy and sisters MaryEllen Cassidy and Kathleen (KC) Cassidy Barnes. His extended family includes his sisters-in-law Linda Ferguson and Gail Thomas, his nieces Kally and Karen and Karen’s three sons, Anthony, Armon, and Alijah, and his nephews Sammy, Charles and Jake. We will all miss him, terribly and forever.
He lived on his own terms, and it seems he died on his own terms, in his own home, without doctors and pokes and prods and tests and visitors. We know it is a cliché, but we miss him so much already, and time will not change that. He was fair and generous. He lived by his own code but didn’t hold others to it. He always had all the answers. Now if he could just tell us what to do without him.