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Lavergne Prejean Casey, 56, of the East Mountain section of Scranton, died Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2004, in the VNA Hospice Unit at Moses Taylor Hospital, after an long and courageous battle with acute leukemia. Her husband of 26 years, Paul J. Casey Jr., died on Oct. 30, 1996.
Born and raised in Scranton, she was the daughter of Curley J. Prejean, Scranton, and the late Helen Refice Prejean. She was educated in the Scranton public schools, and was a 1965 graduate of Scranton Central High School, and attended St. Joseph Hospital School of Nursing, in Carbondale. She was employed in the medical and insurance fields and most recently by Community Medical Center, Scranton. She was a partner and co-owner of Paul J. Casey Printing, and managed that business. She spent many summers as a volunteer at the Scranton Public Theater and also volunteered much of her time at the VNA Hospice Unit at Community Medical Center. She was a member of Holy Name of Jesus Parish, East Mountain, where she served as a eucharistic minister and, for a brief time, as parish secretary. In 1992, she was elected president of the Kiwanis Club of Scranton, the first woman to lead a Kiwanis Club in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In that same year, she was honored as a Northeast Woman by the Times/Tribune newspapers.
Her life focused on her family and their health and happiness. She loved to read to her grandchildren. She enjoyed travel and the theater as well. She left a lasting impression on all who knew her and will be dearly missed.
In addition to her father, she is survived by two sons and their families, Paul J. Casey, Scranton, his wife, Jennifer Davis Casey, and their son, Colin; and Daniel P. Casey, Pittston, his wife, Kimberly Banull Casey, and their daughter, Elizabeth. She is also survived by her brother, Sidney J. Prejean, Dunmore, and his wife, Melinda C. Ghilardi.
The funeral will be Friday at 9:30 a.m. from the Neil W. Regan Funeral Home Inc., 1900 Pittston Ave., with Mass at 10 in Holy Name of Jesus Church, 1414 East Elm St., Scranton, con-celebrated by the Rev. Michael Marchetti, pastor, and Monsignor Philip Gray. Interment, Fairview Memorial Park, Elmhurst.
Friends may call Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to VNA Hospice of Lackawanna County, 301 Delaware Ave., Olyphant, 18447.
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Carol Myslewicz (Middleton)
Lavergne, one of my best friends ever. We remained very close friends though the miles separated us. She came to visit me in England twice. I miss her sound and clever mind, her thoughtfulness and her devotedness to our friendship.
David Fetzer
I met Lavergne on the first day of class at South Scranton Junio High in September 1959. We were part of a class, a prototype if you will, that was convening to benefit from increased science and math-related federal funding that had flowed out of America's embarrassment following the launch of Sputnik two years earlier. We were both insecure but inquisitive seventh graders.
As our school year progressed, and through the rest of our careers in Scranton public schools, Lavergne and I were fortunate to discover a friendly mutual challenge to make the most of our enhanced academic opportunity. We studied for tests together. We worked on science projects together. We brought our individual friends into contact with each other.
Lavergne became one of my best friends ever. She was really my first frmale friend, and though we never "dated," we accompanied each other to many social events through graduation. Lavergne was the first girl with whom I danced The Twist. Lavergne made me laugh.
I was happy that she worked diligently to sparkplug the Class of 1965's 20th reunion and felt privileged to attend. Years later, I was saddened to learn that she was struggling to beat cancer. I felt my world shrink around me when I learned that she had lost the battle, gone 'way too young.
Although we never regained the level of contact we had during those school years, Lavergne and I remained in touch because she had stayed close to my mother, even after my mom had retired and begun her life as one of the Real Golden Girls of Florida. They sent letters and cards incessantly in the lost era of stationery, stamps, and fountain pens. I feel that they would have really taxed Facebook.
I found all of their correspondence when in 2008 I sorted through my mother's mountain of kept memorabilia, bundles of their friendship wrapped with rubber bands that strretched to represent an energetic bond between two disparate women, a bond that began with nothing more in common but me. I am still honored by that thought.
After reflection, I realized that the two had something else very special in common. They shared the unique ability and drive to glue themselves to the consciousness of other people and remain so as the years passed. They made fast friends of complete strangers. Today I envy their bond, and though I'm able to say I have a satisfying number of enduring friendships, I wish I had a friendship precisely like the one my mother shared with Lavergne.