Stephen Casey

Stephen Joseph Casey, “Steve”, age 63, of Neenah, WI passed away peacefully in his home and ran into the arms of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on January 12, 2026 after a hard fought battle with cancer.

The second of three children, Steve was born on August 7, 1962 in Butler, AL to Lawrence and Joyce Casey who built a loving, close-knit family. He inherited his mom’s heart and selflessness and his father’s generosity, ingenuity, corny jokes, and sweet tooth.

Steve spent 37 wonderful years married to the love of his life, Jean Louise Barina. Their Christ-centered marriage serves as an inspiring example of enduring love and commitment. Together they raised three children – Andria, Sam, and Kelly.

Steve was the most amazing husband and dad, the rock of his family. With kindness, patience, and gentleness, he poured endless love and laughter into his home and provided unwavering support to his wife and kids. He never missed a gymnastics meet, soccer game, or theatre performance. He taught his kids to downhill ski in the winter and captained the boat for waterskiing, wakeboarding, and tubing in the summer. He created cherished memories with countless camping trips, family vacations, and time spent at the family cottage. His kids were his pride and joy and he took every opportunity to express his love. They appreciated his quiet, dependable wisdom, and he was their first phone call when advice was needed.

Recently, he became a proud grandpa to his 9-month old grandson who brought joy, smiles, and laughter when it was needed most. Kids loved Steve’s goofy antics, making him a beloved uncle and great uncle. He will be fondly remembered with many renditions of “The Old Moo Cow” and other silly songs.

After graduating from Xavier High School in 1980, Steve chased his passion for downhill skiing. He pursued an associate degree in Ski Area Management, spent a season working at a Colorado ski resort, and managed a local Appleton ski shop. Ultimately, he obtained his Bachelors and Masters of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh.

In 2019, Steve retired from Amcor, formerly Bemis, as Senior Director of Procurement after an impressive 30 year career. He worked hard to build a beautiful life for his family and instilled his incredible work ethic in his children. His calm, practical leadership and integrity were well-respected and he served as a mentor for many both in his professional and personal life. His job took him on many travels to Europe, Asia, and South America and to Washington D.C. where he testified in front of Congress regarding the impact of aluminum tariffs on the industry. In retirement, he enjoyed biking and kayaking with Jean, frequent visits with his kids, playing pickleball and racquetball, spending time with family and friends, and volunteering at the Double Portion Soup Kitchen and the Fair Market Thrift Store.

While he was a businessman by trade, Steve was an inventive engineer, building lofts and shelves for his kids’ bedrooms, outfitting a PVC framework with pre-hung Christmas lights for easy installation, and even in his last few weeks of life fashioning a highchair harness out of an old bike helmet strap. He was methodical and had a system or spreadsheet for everything.

Known for his cheesy sense of humor and dad jokes, Steve brought lots of laughter to his family and friends and elicited an occasional eye roll from his kids. He also had a notorious sweet tooth and rarely passed an ice cream shop without stopping for a treat.

Steve’s strong faith left a lasting impact on many. He was an active member of Calvary Bible Church, leading life groups, providing marriage mentoring, volunteering on missions trips, and working with children with special needs.

Despite Steve’s accomplishments, he knew it would never be enough to get him into heaven. He knew heaven was a gift available to him only because Jesus took Steve’s place on the cross and endured the punishment meant for Steve’s sin. After placing his faith in Jesus and trusting the sacrifice made for him on the cross, he received the gift of eternal life promised to him in God’s word.

His faith never wavered through his health challenges over the past three years. While undergoing treatment, he wrote: “I trust that the Lord has everything in the palm of His hand. I know that He loves me and has laid out a plan that is consistent with that love. Those of us who put our faith in Jesus Christ, acknowledge our sins, accept His forgiveness, and strive to follow Him rather than what the world offers us, are promised eternity with our Lord and Savior.”

Steve is survived by his wife, Jean; his three children, Andria (Jake), Sam (Cori), Kelly (Kingsley); grandson James; mother Joyce; brother John (Mary Shaun); sister Mary Jean (Todd); sisters-in-law Sue (Al) and Sally (Dene); brother-in-law Tom (Pat); and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father Larry; father-in-law Robert; mother-in-law Charlotte; and nephew Tony.

The family would like to give a special thank you to the medical team at ThedaCare Regional Cancer Center for their compassionate care and support.

A memorial will be held on Saturday, January 31, 2026, at Calvary Bible Church, 1450 Oakridge Rd., Neenah, WI. Visitation will be held from 9:15 - 10:15 a.m., followed by the service at 10:30 a.m. A luncheon at the church will follow the service at approximately 11:30 a.m. and all are invited to gather and share stories in remembrance of Steve.

The service will also be livestreamed and can be viewed at this link: https://cbcneenah.subspla.sh/5zvnyw6

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations be made to the International Association for Refugees (IAFR), where a former teacher of Steve’s children serves forcibly displaced people in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Please mail checks to:

IAFR

PO Box 1405

Wheaton, IL 60187

Please include “Sarajevo Refugee Center” in the memo line.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” Isaiah 12:2

“But the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23b