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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING THE LIFE OF JAMES J. CASEY
WHEREAS, James “Jim” J. Casey was born on September 18, 1938, in Chicago, Illinois at St. Bernard Hospital; and
WHEREAS, Jim was the loving and adored husband of 55 years to Frances, nee Norris, and
WHEREAS, Jim was a lifelong resident of Cook County and lived in the Beverly community of Chicago, Illinois, who selflessly made extraordinary contributions to improve the community; and his beloved parish of St. Barnabas; and
WHEREAS, Jim was a graduate of DePaul University as well as DePaul University College of Law; and
WHEREAS, Jim started his legal career working at the Justice Department in Washington D.C., where in 1963, as a young DOJ attorney, Jim went to Alabama to fight for the integration of the University of Alabama when George Wallace stood in the doorway to block the admission of African-American students; and
WHEREAS, one of Jim’s most memorable moments working in Washington D.C., at the US Attorney’s Office, was when he complemented Bobby Kennedy on his tie clip and Bobby Kennedy took it off and gave it to him. Jim loved to share that story and show the tie clip, when people came over to the house; and
WHEREAS, Jim moved to the US Attorney’s Chicago Office and worked in the Organized Crime Division. Jim worked diligently to prosecute many members of the Chicago mob, including Jackie Cerone and was also an attorney in the Chicago Seven trial; and
WHEREAS, Jim would later retire from the Justice Department and receive an appointment from Mayor Richard J. Daley to become the first to head the Chicago Police Department Office of Professional Standards, better known as OPS. It was there that Jim lived out his secret dream of becoming a police officer, equipped with an unmarked car, a badge and everything; and
WHEREAS, Jim spent the later part of his career in private practice in which one of his biggest highlights came when he argued a case before the Supreme Court of the United States in 1998; and
WHEREAS, Jim was an avid sports fan of the Chicago White Sox, Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, DePaul Basketball, and Purdue Basketball and Football. He had a passion for music especially traditional Irish music, although you would also catch him listening to country and folk music too, like Johnny Cash, Simon & Garfunkel, and Judy Collins to name a few; and
WHEREAS, Jim passed away on December 20, 2021, surrounded by family; and
WHEREAS, is survived by his wife Frances, Children, Katie (Tom), Saletta, Tim (Loretta) Casey and Nell (John) Janda. A host of grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and friends; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED, that the President and the Cook County Board of Commissioners, on behalf of the residents of Cook County, hereby offer its deepest condolences and most heartfelt sympathy to the family of James J. Casey and honor the life and memory of this outstanding Cook County resident.end