Tommy Lee Cassady

The Reverend Tommy (Tom) Lee Cassady of Charlotte, NC died on February 5th at Asbury Skilled Nursing at Aldersgate in Charlotte, NC at age 89. He was the son of the late John Lewis Cassady, Sr. and Lillie Mae (Peggy) Keziah Cassady Rice. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Jane Carolyn Cathey Cassady; daughter, Cathey Anne Cassady of Fair Play, SC and her partner Lindsay Reed Levine; son, Mark Wesley Cassady and his wife René Phelps Cassady of Mooresville, NC; two grandchildren, Morgan Alexandra Cassady Poulston and her husband Jamie Earl Poulston of Palm Bay, Florida; and Cameron Wesley Cassady and his partner Savannah Haley Hamilton of Mooresville, NC; and a special surrogate daughter, Lora Gayle Rector and her husband, (and Tom’s dear friend), Gene Rector of Kannapolis, NC.

Tom was preceded in death by his brother, John Lewis Cassady, Jr of Fernley, NV; his sister Sarah Jane Cassady Wallace; his half brothers Marion Cassady and Rufus (Rudy) Cassady, sister-in-law Alice Elizabeth (Betty) Wamsley and her husband Tom.

He is survived by his step brother William Henry (Pete) Rice and his wife Dot of Gordonsville, Virginia; brother-in-law Joe H. Cathey Jr. and his wife Peggy. He is also survived by very special cousins, nephews, and nieces:

Frances Wallace Pope, Tommy Dean Wallace (Karen), Roy Cassady, and Janet Magee and Kenny Faust. Vicki Cathey, Beth Fink (Dale), Joe H. Cathey III, Cecil Rice, Leslie Bowen (John), Thomas F. Wamsley, Jr. (Jenny), and their families.

He was a native of Charlotte, NC and graduated from Central High School in 1953. He received an AA Degree in Music from Brevard Jr. College; a BA Degree in Philosophy from Wofford; and a Masters of Divinity Degree from Duke Divinity School at Duke University. He was ordained Deacon by Bishop Nolan B. Harmon in 1959 and ordained Elder by Bishop Earl G. Hunt in 1965. During his active ministry of forty-six years, he served the following United Methodist Churches in the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church; Saluda in Saluda, Oakdale in Jamestown, Plaza in Charlotte, First Church in Sylva, Myers Memorial in Gastonia, Maple Springs in Winston-Salem, Jamestown in Jamestown, First Church in Asheboro, Central Church in Mt. Airy, and Mt. Pisgah in Greensboro. He was privileged to serve on numerous boards, committees, and agencies of the Western North Carolina Annual Conference through the years and the Board of Trustees of Brevard College for twenty-five years and was honored to be a Trustee Emeritus.

A graveside service will be held on Sunday February 9th at Sharon Memorial Park on 5716 Monroe Road, Charlotte, NC at 1 pm, conducted by Dr. James Howell, Sr. Minister at Myers Park UMC. The family will receive guests in the gathering space of McEwen Funeral Service for a small reception following the service.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Samaritan's Purse for the Western NC Hurricane Helene Recovery. https://www.samaritanspurse.org/disaster/hurricane-helene You can also make a donation by mail: Samaritan’s Purse, PO Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607 and mark for: Western NC Hurricane Helene Recovery.

McEwen Funeral Service at Sharon Memorial Park is serving the Cassady family.