Television news executive Patrick C. Casey died after a
13-month battle with brain cancer on Saturday, March 19 in Cincinnati. He was
54.
Casey was most recently executive news director of ABC
affiliate WKEF and Fox affiliate WRGT in Dayton, Ohio. He was diagnosed with
glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer, in February 2010 but continued working
until a few months ago.
"For Pat, news was something to be consumed by," said
Patrick Baldwin, Casey's former assistant news director in Dayton. "For those
of us who were willing and eager to learn, our time with Pat Casey ended not
only in a Ph.D. in news judgment, but also earned us a fiercely loyal and
dedicated friend, a friend who was always willing to help in any way he could."
He spent 30 years at TV news programs around the country,
starting on the assignment desk at WMAR Baltimore shortly after college. From
there, Casey, a Washington, D.C. native, moved back to D.C. where he worked at
WJLA, WRC and WUSA.
Casey left Washington to be news director at WCSH Portland,
Maine, before moving to Los Angeles to work on the syndicated newsmagazine show
The Crusaders. He then spent almost
five years as managing editor of KCBS-TV in L.A. while also working for the
syndicated Extra.
"Pat was an extremely rare and talented news
executive who understood and appreciated all aspects of the business,"
said John Culliton, former general manager of KCBS. "He saw the big picture."
In 2000 he and his family moved to Cincinnati where he
became news director at Fox affiliate WXIX. After five years he was hired to
oversee the two stations in Dayton.
Casey is survived by his wife Maureen, their children Paul,
Mary and Mac, and brothers Francis L. Casey III and Thomas D. Casey of
Washington D.C.
