Compassion for others and a terrific sense of humor is how Oxford-Orion FISH President John Thomas Cass is being remembered following his Wednesday, April 14 death. He was 74.
‘He was a kind and warm man who loved a good joke,? said his wife of 31 years, Valarie Cass. ‘He was just an all-around good guy.?
Cass, who lived in Oxford, died ‘quickly and gracefully? following a three-year battle with leukemia, according to Valarie.
A volunteer with FISH for about seven years, he spent the last four as the nonprofit group’s president, presiding over its charitable distribution of emergency food, funds and services to local families and individuals in need.
‘His wife dragged him into it,? joked Valarie, who serves as the FISH pantry coordinator. ‘I told him, ‘Hey, you’re retired, do something important.??
Prior to FISH, Cass spent more than 30 years in education, first as an English teacher at Pontiac Northern High School, then as the Language Arts Coordinator for the entire Pontiac school district.
‘John had been a teacher, so it was his life to help people,? Valarie said. ‘He really appreciated that (FISH) is a community organization and that we are all volunteers. He found it to be a very good and loving organization. It’s just such a family group, he really appreciated being part of it.?
‘He gave totally to the organization,? said FISH Vice President John Jarvis. ‘He conducted the meetings in a gentlemanly, orderly manner. He made you feel comfortable whatever your opinion might be.?
Jarvis noted Cass ‘was one of the nicest, most humorous, easygoing fellas you’ll ever meet.?
‘I was thrilled and pleased to have been a part of the last four years with him,? he said. ‘We’ll miss him an awful lot.?
During his presidency, Cass presided over moving the FISH pantry from a church basement in Oxford Village to an entire building in Thomas, a tiny unincorporated area, north of the village and west of M-24.
‘He wasn’t afraid to take on any position or any kind of task that had to be done. If he could do it, he was there,? said fellow FISH board member John Lychuk. ?
Cass also initiated getting a wheelchair ramp constructed at the new pantry so FISH patrons would have an easier time accessing the facility and obtaining their groceries.
‘That might not sound like a real big thing to many people, but having to carry groceries down three or four steps, trip after trip after trip, was very inconvenient for our FISH clients,? Valarie said.
Jarvis said Cass ‘went above and beyond? his role as president by writing numerous grant requests on behalf of FISH.
‘That was perhaps his biggest gift. It wasn’t in the job description, but he took it on,? he said. ‘Through his grant writing we received a number of good-sized grants. It was substantial.?
‘He was a great writer,? Lychuk noted. ‘He knew the English language well.?
Cass was a devoted member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Lake Orion, where he sang in the Adult and Gregorian Chant Choirs.
In addition to his community involvement, Cass loved camping, fishing, golfing and playing with his grandchildren.
His family would like to thank the intensive care nurses, and especially the staff of 4G at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, for their compassionate care.
Valarie also appreciates everything the Oxford community did for she and her husband during his illness, from cleaning their yard in the spring and fall to remembering him in their prayers.
‘We just had a wonderful outpouring of love and concern from all of the community,? she said. ‘It was really something.?
In addition to his wife, Cass is survived by his children Timothy (Veronica), Carolyn (Rafael) Lorente, Susan Cass Millichamp, Jill Stout and Scott (Robin) Stout. He’s also survived by his seven grandchildren.
A funeral Mass took place on Saturday, April 17 at St. Joseph Catholic Church. Interment was at Ridgelawn Memorial Cemetery in Oxford.
Memorials made be made to Oxford-Orion FISH at P.O. Box 732, Lake Orion, MI 48361.