John Paul "Casey" Rathbun's Obituary
John Paul “Casey” Rathbun
John Paul “Casey” Rathbun was born August 31, 1934 in St. Louis, Missouri to Ira Avon and Mary Gray Rathbun. He passed away October 19, 2017 at home in Longview. His parents and brothers Ira Gray, Dick, and Mike preceded him.
He spent his formative years in Tennessee where he earned his nickname “Casey” playing baseball. He did strike out! The family moved to Longview in 1950 when his father transferred with the start up team of the new Texas Eastman Company. He always made friends easily, and though he missed his friends in Kingsport, he enjoyed the two years he spent at Longview High, graduating in 1952.
He followed his older brother to Georgia Tech, where he “co-oped”, working a quarter at Eastman and going to school a quarter. Casey was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity, and he graduated in 1958 with a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering degree. He then began a career at Eastman that lasted over 40 years.
He was an active member of First Presbyterian Church where he served as an elder, sang in the choir, and taught Sunday school. He found much joy in serving communion to shut-ins. After retirement in 1998, Casey enjoyed volunteering with Meals on Wheels, reading with children at South Ward Elementary, and perfecting his true vocation: gourmet cooking.
Casey had many interests including hunting and deep-sea fishing with his brothers and sons. Over the years he enjoyed many sports, reading, and traveling. He was a Texas Master Gardener. His true passion was cooking and sharing food and fellowship with others. Some of his best thinking and planning took place in his barbeque pavilion!
Casey is survived by his wife, Sally; former wife and friend, Joan; and his four children: Joanie (Bill) Russell, Gray Rathbun, Matthew (Claire) Rathbun, and Noell Rathbun. His grandchildren Ginny and Gracie Russell, JP and Luke Rathbun, and Elliot Rathbun-Cook, his sisters-in-law Sue Melton Rathbun and Sheila Gerace, and numerous nieces and nephews also survive him.
Memorial services will be 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, October 24 at First Presbyterian Church, Longview with visitation to follow. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to: Longview Community Ministries-Meals on Wheels, P.O. Box 1023, Longview, Texas 75606 or Haiti Educational Foundation, P. O. Box 10775,
El Dorado, Arkansas 71730.
The family wishes to thank the following for their love and support: our church family, John and Deb Zeigler and the Bramlette Place neighbors, Jill Bayless, George and Susan Saiken, Delicia and Nelly of Hospice Plus, and Kevin Green, Joe Hammond, and Tammy Howard. Special thanks to Casey’s “handler” Sherry Jones, who showed him so much love and care over the last two years.
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