We honor here members, friends and supporters of the American Council of the Blind who have impacted our lives in many wonderful ways. If you would like to submit a notice for this column, please include as much of the following information as possible.
Name (first, last, maiden if appropriate)
City of residence (upon passing)
State/province of residence (upon passing)
Other cities/states/countries of residence (places where other blind people may have known this person)
Occupation
Date of death (day if known, month, year)
Age
ACB affiliation (local/state/special-interest affiliates or national committees)
Deaths that occurred more than six months ago cannot be reported in this column.
** Frank Casey
(Reprinted from "The Albany Times Union," Jan. 20, 2012.)
Francis R. "Frank" Casey, 62, died Jan. 18, 2012 at Samaritan Hospital. Born in Albany, N.Y., he was son of the late Thomas and Agnes (Thornton) Casey. He was a graduate of the New York Institute for the Education of the Blind, in the Bronx, N.Y. He worked for the Albany County Sheriff's Department for 32 years, retiring as a 911 supervisor in 2001. He was president of the Capital District Chapter of the American Council of the Blind of New York. He enjoyed amateur radio "W2JIO", was an avid fan of the New York Mets and was a weather buff. Husband of 25 years of Kathy (Wilkens) Casey of Albany; brother of Thomas "Sonny" (Dorothy) Casey of Bohemia, N.Y., Mary (Charles) Fullam of N.J., and the late Patricia Burns; uncle of Nicole Hornsby, James and Timothy Burns; also survived by several grand-nieces, grand-nephews and cousins.
Funeral services were held Jan. 21 at the Daniel Keenan Funeral Home; a mass of Christian burial followed at St. Francis of Assisi Parish. Interment was in St. Agnes Cemetery, Menands. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be sent to the American Council of the Blind of New York, Inc., 104 Tilrose Ave., Malverne, NY 11565.
** Hazel White Daigle
(Reprinted from "The Baton Rouge Advocate," Jan. 4, 2012.)
Hazel White Daigle, a retired teacher in the Orleans Parish school system, a native of Hammond, a resident of Gonzales and a former resident of New Orleans, passed away in Gonzales on Dec. 31, 2011. Visitation was held at Gonzales' First Baptist Church Jan. 5, prior to the religious service at 11:30 a.m., conducted by the Rev. Brent Hill. She was buried at Hope Haven Garden of Memory in Gonzales.
She is survived by her husband, Vernon Daigle, Gonzales; sisters, Amy Joy White Aard and husband Jim, of Tickfaw, and Ida White Stevens and husband Clinton, of Hammond; sister-in-law, Rose Idell, of Gonzales; nephew, Douglas White, of Ohio; and other nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by a son, Bryan Curtis Webb; parents, David and Lena White; two sisters and three brothers. She was the first blind student to graduate from Southeastern Louisiana College in Hammond, graduating third in her class. In addition, she was certified in elementary and special education. She was a volunteer at the Louisiana State Library, section for the blind, for 20 years. She was also a member of the First Baptist Church in Gonzales, Ladies Auxiliary of the Knights of Columbus, American Council of the Blind, Louisiana Retired Teachers Association and the Ascension Community Singers. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Louisiana Baptist Children's Home, PO Box 4196, Monroe, LA 71211